


Within Temptation

by BePassionate24



Category: The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith, Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cheating, Drama, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hate, Love, Romance, Secrets, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-01-06 13:33:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 188,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BePassionate24/pseuds/BePassionate24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now M Rated. A/H. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah) (COMPLETED!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey all! So, this is my newest story that hasn't left me alone for months now and I just thought that I would get started on it since one of my other fanfiction's will be coming to an end soon.**

**Anyways, It's a bit more darker than other things I've written before and it has a lot of complicated relationships tied together in different ways.** **_Oh and parts of this story will be M rated for smutty scenes. I might change it to be all M rated later. But, I'm still not sure.  
_ **

**So, this is just the prologue for it and if I get enough people interested in it. Then, I'll continue with it.**

**Disclaimer: I do no own the Vampire Diaries in any way. I just use the characters for my own enjoyment! ;)**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Prologue _-_**

_Deception-_ _The action of deceiving someone._ Deceit. Fraud. Delusion. Cheat.

Elena Gilbert was a fraud and a cheat amongst a lot of other things. It was written all over her face as she stared into the mirror and placed the expensive silver necklace that he had given her for tonight around her neck, exhaling deeply when she spun her thin and olive colored fingers around her now bouncy and overly curly dark brown hair.

It was haunting, the image looking back at her with her thickened dark eyelashes and smoky eye shadow. She looked just like her, Katherine Salvatore. Katherine was one of Chicago's most affluent and educated women in the large Illinois city and yet, somehow as it was reported in the news just a year earlier. Katherine, wasn't able to protect herself from being kidnapped in broad daylight. You see, the thing was that Katherine Salvatore also hid a very dirty little secret and no one knew about it except for Elena Gilbert. That was now stepping into the shoes, of one of the most powerful, wealthy and talented women that Chicago had ever seen.

"I can't pretend to be her anymore, this isn't right. I need to tell him that I'm not her and I need to do it tonight." Elena mumbled to herself, slipping off the necklace and staring intently back at her reflection. It was uncanny, the resemblance between them. But, Elena knew why. It was because the two women, who had never had the chance to meet in their lives had one thing in common, their blood line. Katherine and Elena were identical twins. Although, if you had known the girls your whole life. It was still fairly hard to spot the differences between them. Until you looked close enough.

Katherine, the woman that Elena adored and had dreamt of meeting ever since she found out about her, just a year earlier was more of a feisty and to the point type of person and when she lied, she did it well. However, Elena on the other hand had a heart of gold and was overly compassionate and concerned for others. Never a very good liar at all. But, all Elena wanted was to meet her sister, whom their parents had separated when they were babies. She dreamed about telling Katherine all the things she had gone through, all the struggles she had endured while she lived in numerous foster homes. But, she hadn't planned on meeting her sister in this way. Not in taking over her life an assuming her identity, not in seeing Katherine's face plastered on every single tabloid, almost all of them saying that she was dead. However, part of Elena feared that it was true, that impersonating Katherine would be the closest she would ever get to knowing her.

"Katherine?" Elena heard the voice coming from behind their bedroom door, a man's voice with its husky raspy tone and her stomach instantly flipped at the sound of it. She knew who it was and part of her wanted to disappear, vanish right into the floor boards of the Salvatore's home that was once a rundown hotel. Which they had split up with a pair of friends that all lived under the same roof.

"I'm indecent. I'll be there in just a moment." Elena replied, hurriedly grabbing her robe and slipping into a pair of slippers that were near the vanity. She stopped for a moment though, inhaling through gritted teeth when she caught a glimpse of herself. This wasn't her, this was never who Elena had intended on becoming and now if anyone found out about what was really going on and that she was fooling every single one of them. They'd turn her in for fraud or even worse, they'd kill her without a second thought and make it look like an accident. Maybe just like what they had done to Katherine, maybe that's why everyone looked so pale and sick to their stomachs the night that Stefan had found her at the shelter and brought _'her'_ back home. So sure of himself that the woman standing in front of him was his wife, so happy that she had finally come back home alive and yet, Elena could see the small doubt in his eyes as he held her in his arms and cried against her shoulder before they left the homeless shelter. Elena remembered the look on his face, the relief in his green eyes when they walked through the front door of their home and he kissed her lips, saying how happy he was to have her back beside him, how lost he was without her.

Stefan was beyond thrilled to have his wife back. But, if he only knew. If the man that Elena had learned to secretly love over the last year from afar as she pretended to live Katherine's life as well as she could. If Stefan knew about the lies she was telling or the facade of being something she wasn't. If he knew about who she really was and why she had worked her way into his life and everyone around him. He would surely hate her forever. Everyone in the city, every person that Elena had come into contact with within the last year, would want to burn her alive just to hear the truth of why she had done it being uttered from her lips.

So, maybe that's why she didn't want to ruin the moment between them in beginning of it all. Maybe the reason for it was because Elena couldn't bear to look Stefan in the eyes and tell him the truth about who she was and how she had come across finding out about Katherine's disappearance and her true family history. Although, deep down inside of her heart, somewhere in it where nothing had yet to be touched by lies and tainted by the secret affairs she had now been having . Elena knew that Stefan was the one who her heart belong to, even if she wasn't being completely honest to herself or with him. There was something about Stefan Salvatore that Elena Gilbert was drawn to, that made her think twice about who she wanted to be and what she could easily have, if only she could came clean and tell him the truth.

It was guilt and the pressure of keeping things under wraps though, these lies piling up like a mountain of cards in a deck. It was guilt for sleeping in his bed and making love to him, the whole time having him believe that she was his wife of two years. Having him whisper Katherine's name upon his lips instead of hers. Elena would lay in bed beside him, wanting to tell him after keeping it a secret for so long. But, she never could. Not until something happened and she snapped. Until she realized that she couldn't keep loving him as her sister. She had to tell him the truth, she had to explain to him who she was and how much her heart hurt because she had been in love with him since she first met him, so unconventionally. So, she figured that tonight, after a year of playing these charades. Tonight would be the night that all the lies were put out on the table and she placed her heart on the line, for the man that she was falling so deeply in love with. Stefan Salvatore, the man that could never be hers and would always be everyone else's.

Elena snapped out of her day dreams quickly as she heard the voice call out again. "Katherine, open up. Please, I have a very nice surprise for you." He said, his voice becoming light and velvety as she finally pushed the door open and saw a pair of darkened brown eyes staring back at her.

"Elijah, I figured that you'd be out with your friends, tonight." Elena inquired, eyeing him up and down and placing her hand on the door, staring up at Elijah as if she could tolerate him being in the same room as her for more than five minutes. But, the truth was that when Elena made the connection between the affair that her sister was having with one of Stefan's best friends. Elena's heart broke for the youngest Salvatore more than it did for anyone else. Although, here she was, deceiving him in an entirely different way, than her sister had.

"You know my dear. I could have any woman that I want and I do have a beautiful wife. But, Katherine. The truth is that she will never fill the hunger inside of my soul or entice me the way that you do." Elijah hissed out, brushing past Elena and swiping his hand across a pair of diamond earrings that Stefan had given her, just a few days before.

"Elijah, you shouldn't be in here. Stefan's going to be home from the airport from his business trip overseas any minute and if he finds us together. You know how bad it would be for us." Elena told him, watching as Elijah took a step closer towards her, a small smirk on his face when he lifted his hand and pushed a strand of her curly hair behind her ears, all the while lingering his fingertips against her cheek as he spoke in a soft tone.

"You act like this is the first time we've gone behind his back. My sweet and beautiful, Katherine. This isn't the first time and it surely won't be the last." Elijah warned, leaning in to kiss her face as Elena stumbled back from him, letting out a nervous laugh.

"I'm not in the mood for your games tonight, Elijah. Why don't you go back upstairs to Rose and leave me alone tonight. You and I would never work anyway. I love him, Elijah. I love Stefan. I'm trying to be faithful to him. As you should try to be to your wife and fix your relationship." Elena tried to reason with him, hearing as the downstairs front door opened and her stomach tightened at the sound of Stefan's luggage hitting the marble floors.

" You usually can't resist me. You seem different tonight, I just don't know what it could be. Trying to be faithful to him? Ha, that's a new one. Oh hear that? You just got saved by my best friend. You're lucky he came back earlier than expected. Because if he didn't..I would have thrown you in my bed and never wanted you to leave. Think about that tonight, Katherine. When you're making love to him." Elijah told her, taking a step back from her, right after he left a kiss upon her cheeks and left Elena standing there, feeling like she was going to vomit all over herself from the growing anxiety she felt.

"I love him and you're just a distraction. This needs to stop. You and I, we need to stop. We'd never work and your wife, Rose would be heartbroken if she found out about this!" Elena began to say in a voice that was just above a whisper. She watched as Elijah pivoted on his heels and smirked at her, exhaling deeply when he straightened out his blue shirt and grinned as he said "As long as your with him and I'm with her. This is just the beginning of it all. Besides, I'm still waiting on the day that you look at me like you look at him. Don't think that I don't see it. You love him, Katherine. You love him more than you love me and all I want is for you to look at me in that way, to see me with those loving brown eyes and tell me that you love me just as much as I love you. I don't love her, I don't love Rose like I love you. Remember that!" Elijah added, watching as Elena gripped her hands into fists and her face became pale.

It was now or never. It was time to make the biggest confession of her life. Because in the last year, she had gotten in too deep with the Salvatore's and their philandering had started to lose track of who she was when this whole thing started and it was coming to the point where some days she would wake up and envision never telling a living soul, just resuming living this lie and being in the delusional bliss of another person's life.

Within the moment she looked up at Elijah. Her heart was shattered for the life she could have had. With Stefan, if they had met under different circumstances and she wasn't posing as his missing wife. As tears in her eyes began to form when she heard Stefan walking through the hallway and his hands slowly began to open the door to _their_  bedroom. Elena stood her ground and watched the open the door. She exhaled deeply and shook the tears away on her face as she opened her mouth and uttered the one secret that she had been keeping from everyone for almost over a year now.

"I'm not who you think I am. I'm not your trophy wife or a secret love affair to avoid the real problems with your wife. You're best friends and I am not her. I won't come between the two of you anymore. So, I'm finally telling you the truth. My name isn't Katherine Salvatore and I'm not this rich socialite." Elena shouted, watching as the Stefan and Elijah both looked over at her with dumbstruck expressions on their faces, staying silent as she continued to release all of her truths out into the open and began taking off the jewelry that the men had given her, watching it all fall to the floor. Just like her heart was in the moment, falling to the pit of her stomach.

"My name is Elena Gilbert and Katherine is my long lost identical twin sister. I've been lying to everyone in this house for the last year and I've been living this lie as Katherine to find out more information about her and why she was kidnapped." Elena admitted, watching as the two men's eyes locked on her face and they stood in front of her not saying a word. Just allowing for Elena's words to sink in and trying to swallow the fact that they had both been baffled by the truth and by the woman they had thought they loved.

* * *

**_A/N: So, Elena posing as Katherine and coming between the two best friends?! Oh boy! Also, who was she before all of this started...and how did she even find out about her and Katherine being related?! All of those answers will be revealed in the first chapter which will take place "One year earlier." It may seem a little confusing now. But, throughout the story secrets and past histories will be revealed. ;)_ **

**_PLEASE_ ** _let me know what you all thought and feel free to leave a review, if I should continue this story or not. Loved it? Hated it..Want me to stop this tangled mess of love affairs I'm about to create!? O.o_

Thanks so much for reading. Also, if you like this story so far, don't forget to follow/favorite it on here!

Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24

-Until Next Time!-

 


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now M Rated. A/H. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**So, The first chapter and the majority of the rest of the story will be all "ONE YEAR EARLIER" from the Prologue. So, we will be getting a glimpse of what everyone's lives were like before Elena took over Katherine's. And, as far as Katherine goes...We'll be seeing her in flashbacks which will be throughout the story and all in italics! :)**

**_Also, This story will focus a lot on Stelena. But, it won't be strictly Stelena. It will have a lot of the other characters from the show in the story throughout it...Like the summary says "Everyone has secrets!" ;)_ **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**And hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE- Within Temptation**

_**...One year earlier...** _

"Hi, everyone. My name is Stefan Salvatore and I've been clean and sober for six years as of today." Stefan said, looking over the crowd at the people in the room and smiling as he watched his best friend sit next to Damon and his fiancé, Rebekah. All three of them clapping wildly when Stefan sat down and cleared his throat, beginning to speak.

"I haven't touched a drink or any sort of drug in a long time and I feel good about it. I guess I can attribute a lot of my successes to my lovely wife Katherine, who unfortunately couldn't be here today and my family. All of us coming together when we needed one another the most." He said, watching as the group counselor leaned towards him and shook his hand. Being in the building surrounded by others who were in the same spot as he was, just years earlier was a reminder of all things he had endured during his addiction and the fact that he had finally pulled through, or a least for the time being.

"Well, that's it for our ceremony tonight. Thank you all for coming and for the group members, good luck and remember to come back here if you ever need to talk." The counselor said as he too got up and dismissed the group.

Stefan slowly rose and shoved his hands in his pockets, exhaling deeply when he walked over to stand near his brother who gave him a pat on the back. "I'm so proud of you!" Damon exclaimed, wrapping one of his arms loosely around Rebekah and smiling at her with a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah, we all are!" Rebekah said, leaning her head against Damon's shoulder and looking over to Stefan who was now shaking Elijah's hand.

"I just wish that Katherine was here to see it. She had worked so hard to get me on the right track and now after all these years..She's just..She's gone." Stefan said in a anguished tone, looking down at his nicely black polished shoes and placing his hands back into his pockets.

"Look, how about we go home and celebrate. Just the three of us. Although, I know that Caroline and Klaus will want to come over too since their townhouse is right across the street." Elijah said, patting Stefan's back and glancing up at him with a smile. They had all been trying to make things easier on Stefan and themselves by keeping up hope that Katherine would be found and yet after months of searching high and low and in every place they could think of. It was as if the beautiful and very well known young woman had vanished into thin air.

Damon took in the look on his brother's face. Stefan looked exhausted, he had dark circles under his eyes from not being able to sleep and his hands were trembling a bit as they walked to their cars and out into the parking lot of the very secluded and low key treatment facility that only a few high rollers knew about, including the Salvatore brothers.

"We'll find her, Stefan. They're still searching for her and Katherine's case hasn't been closed yet. They will find her." Damon reassured him, placing his arm around his brother's neck and pulling him towards his chest in a playful manner. "Now, let's not worry about all the crappy things in our lives for one moment and let's go celebrate your huge milestone. I suggest that we have dinner at Alinea, we might even already have a table waiting. Oh, the press is going to have a field day about us going out to eat. But, what the hell. The CEO and his Chairman to Dasells Antiques have to eat every once in a while too!" Damon said, grinning up at Stefan as he watched his brother shake his head before he replied with a simple. "Sure, why not. Let's go."

* * *

"Sarah Emily Mikaelson! If you don't come in here within 5 minutes young lady. You won't be going to the water park tomorrow!" Caroline bellowed, turning on her heels and picking up the toys after her daughter.

"Sweetheart, don't you think that's a little harsh?" Klaus commented, coming into the living room with a glass of whiskey in his hands and leaning over to kiss his wife's cheek.

"I don't think it's harsh at all. We need to set boundaries for her, Klaus. She's going to be 7 years old next year and I just don't want a spoiled daughter." Caroline whined, watching as Klaus stepped behind her, placing his glass down onto the coffee table in the room and placing his hands onto her shoulders, a smirk forming upon his lips as she let out a loud sigh when he began to massage her back.

"Why can't we get a nanny? Everyone that we know has a nanny and yet, here we are. Still living in the same townhouse that we did when we got married, three years ago. We need to move out of here and find a bigger place." Caroline said, listening when her husband let out a loud laugh and she could picture him shaking his head without her even looking at him.

"Well, you know. I could ask Stefan or Damon for a raise at work. Then, maybe we could all just move into their house. I mean, it's big enough for a whole army of people to live in it, it was an old rundown hotel with 10 rooms before they renovated it and made it into a mansion. That is if you want to be living big with the rich and famous." Klaus pointed out, feeling as her body tensed at his words and she stepped away from his grasp, letting out an annoyed laugh.

"I just said that we need a bigger place. I never said that I wanted to live under the same roof as your sister or her fiancé. Oh and even better, their mountain of problems that she seems to always discuss with me and only me!" Caroline commented, running her hands through her hair when she watched Klaus shrug his shoulders back, out stretching his arms to embrace her.

"You know, life was a lot easier before you started working for them. We used to be normal and no one knew who we were or where we spent our nights. Because, no one cared! Now, everything that we do is followed by some moron in a tabloid and the paparazzi seem to follow us whenever we go into the city. Remind me again why we wanted to be like this?" Caroline asked, feeling as Klaus tightened his grip around her waistline and kissed the top of her head before he replied.

"Because, they made me be on the committee board of their multimillion dollar Antique selling company and they wouldn't take no for an answer when I tried to leave. We live in this thousand dollar townhouse because you liked the view of the city lights at night. Also, you wanted to be close to Stefan, so that Sarah could have her 'uncle' nearby. Believe me, sweetheart. I miss when we were normal too. But, this is pretty damn nice if you ask me." Klaus told her, watching as his wife placed her head against his shoulder and exhaled deeply. "This is nice and to be honest, I don't think we'd even fit in with being normal anymore. So, with that being said. Which one of us is going to go fetch our daughter from her fort inside of her bedroom and tell her that dinner's ready?" Caroline commented, watching as Klaus stepped back from her and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine, I'll go do it. But, once Sarah goes to bed tonight. You are all mine." Klaus concluded with a wink before he made his way into the hallway and towards their daughter's room, stopping halfway in the middle when he heard Caroline laugh as she shouted out. "Oh, I can't wait for what you have planned, it better be good!"

* * *

"You can't just sit on the street corner all night long. You need to find something to eat." He told her, throwing a dirty and soot filled rag at her face as Elena winced at it.

It was way past 10pm at night and she knew all the good restaurants were just now probably serving their expensive dishes and throwing out the leftovers of what the others didn't each for lunch or an early dinner. "Fine. I'll go by myself and I'll find something. Thanks for the wash cloth, Danny." Elena commented, pulling back her hair into a pony tail and trying to make herself look presentable as much as she could. It didn't help that she needed to use the bathroom too and by the time she made it a few blocks down the only restaurant in her sights was Aliena, one of Chicago's most expensive and well known restaurants in town. A place where all the high end socialites and everybody who was somebody went to.

Elena looked at her own reflection in the glass window, a light shining on her from outside. The small bit of makeup that she had stole from one of the social workers at the homeless shelter she would usually spend the night at, was starting to melt from being in the heat almost all day long and it didn't help that her ratty old jeans were covered with dirt, her once almost new converse were now covered in scuff marks and her tangled mess of hair was the only thing that made her look decent enough to walk into the restaurant and use the bathroom.

It hadn't always been this way for her. Elena had been kicked out of her foster home when she was 18 years old. "Aged out of the system." As was written on her forms and when she tried to find herself a job and get established on her own two feet. One thing after another seemed to stand in her way. Like, the cute and nice looking sales man at the retail store that she went to have an interview at. His name was Matt Donovan and for as long as Elena lived, she would never be able to wash his name away from her mind.

Matt and Elena had started dating after a few months of going out and her trying to convince him that she was able to support herself. But, like every man in Elena's life. They tried to control the situation, telling her that she would be better off if they lived together. "Maybe it'll be easier for you to find a job, if you just move in here. With me." Matt suggested one morning, smiling over at Elena with a grin on his face as he watched the yellow highlighter in her hands shake a little at his suggestion.

Reluctantly and stupidly she had agreed to go along with it. Because of course, she blindly thought that she loved him. Although, there was a nasty streak about the nice looking guy from North Carolina that Elena never saw coming, until one night that was. Until the night that he got so drunk he beat her so badly that she had welts the size of pennies on her body and one of her eyes was so badly swollen that she couldn't see for days through it.

"I'm leaving you and I'm never coming back. Because, if I do comeback I know that you'll make me leave this house in a body bag." Elena commented, throwing the keys in Matt's face after just a month of living under the same roof as him. Since then, since that late May morning. She had sworn to herself, that being in a homeless shelter after losing everything she ever had was better than being with any one that would cause her physically harm or hurt her continuously.

So, here she was. Four years after Matt Donovan and her parted ways and she was finally okay with being on the streets, begging for food at times and sleeping in the warmth of the shelters at night. But, it was nights like these, places like this and the people that she saw when she made her way all the way towards the bathrooms that made her wish her life was different. Elena wanted to be a part of what they were. Their lives filled with social events, the beautiful dresses that the women wore and she nearly drooled when she saw the men. All dressed up perfectly in their suits and ties, most of them drinking whiskey or bourbon and placing their arms around the women who were all vying for their attention.

"Lucky bastards!" Elena muttered under her breath as she rounded the corner to go towards the ladies room and just when she was about to take another step, she felt her body being pushed onto the ground and a loud thud as she fell flat on her backside.

"What the hell!" Elena yelled, an agitated look on her face was evident when she pushed herself up and looked over at the man that had caused her to fall, he was searching for his cell phone.

"Damn it! Where is it?! Oh my god, I'm so sorry for bumping into you like that. I obviously wasn't looking where I was going and-" Stefan began to ramble. Elena could smell the small amount of alcohol coming from his breath and she could tell that he was paranoid about something. But, all was lost on the look in his eyes. His green eyes instantly became watery and he suddenly approached her with caution as he whispered a name at her, one that she had never heard before. "Katherine?" He spoke, the name coming out in a rapid succession with more words that followed. But, Elena was too focused on the look on his face that he was giving her. The young and good looking man looked like he had seen a ghost as he walked towards her, outstretching his hand slowly.

"I'm sorry sir. I don't know who you're talking about." Elena politely said, forgetting that she had to use the restroom and turning to leave the restaurant in a quick motion. But, she was abruptly stopped by his hand on her shoulder.

"You're my wife. Katherine. I don't know what happened to you. Please talk to me. I've been going crazy without you, looking for you everywhere. Where have you been!" Stefan nearly begged her, watching as Elena shrugged him off and picked up her pace when she took off out of the restaurant, thinking that she had left him behind.

She ran as fast as she could in the darkened night, to the only place she knew was a couple blocks away and when she finally ducked and hid behind the shelter wall before going in through the doors. Elena's heart was racing and her hands shook when she heard it, the faint sound of screeching tires, it had seemed as if he was right behind her. So, she quickly exhaled deeply, looking around her and noticed that nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the streets as she made her way into the familiarity of the shelter.

"Hey, stranger. Nice to see you again. Looking for a bed tonight?" Bonnie asked her, noticing that something was off as she watched Elena place her shaking hands against her chest and try to make words come out of her mouth. But, nothing seemed to escape past her lips.

She shook her head instead, pointing to the back as she watched Bonnie nod and smile. But, just as Elena made her way further into the building, glancing over her shoulder to see that there were just a few cars passing by and a man about to walk in from the street. Her heart stopped when the bell at the top of the door chimed and she realized it was the same guy from the restaurant, dressed in a suit with his hands in his pockets and an angered look on his face.

"Katherine Salvatore! I will give you 20 minutes to explain to me what the hell is going on and why you're dressed like a bum, living in this whole in a wall place. Why are you even in a homeless shelter when you have a very nice and expensive home that we share!" Stefan shouted, eyeing her up and down and exhaling deeply as he heard Elena inhale through gritted teeth, slowly turning around and making direct eye contact with him. She wanted to tell him that she had no idea who the hell this 'Katherine' girl was or why he kept insisting that she was his wife. But, instead of saying any of the right things. Elena's dark brown eyes glistened as the thought of what she had always dreamed of, when it came into full view. This, the moment at the restaurant and this moment in time right now was her one shot. It was Elena's one shot at being just like all those people she had envied for years, all the rich and elite people she saw not giving a damn about her as she begged them for some spare change on the street corners during the long days and nights she spent panhandling.

So, it wasn't a huge surprise that when she turned around to look up at Stefan, the man she knew nothing about except for that fact that he obviously had mistaken her for his wife. That Elena uttered a few words, a few words that were clearly a lie and that would bring her one step closer into filling the shoes of this 'Katherine' girl. "I can explain. I needed some time to think. I'm sorry, that I left you."

"You see this, this is you. This is us and you being here, Katherine. In this place and part of town. I don't know how you got here at all. But, I just want you home. I want you home with me and that's where you'll stay. That's where you'll be safe. Please, baby. Come home with me. You've been gone for far too long. I need you." Stefan urged, holding out a picture of his wife and himself in front of a very confused and intrigued Elena.

Elena took the picture from his trembling hands and slowly took a closer look at it. The woman in the picture looked happy and full of life. Yet, there was one thing that struck Elena hard and it sent a cold shiver down her overheated skin. The young woman in the picture with her smiling face, perfect makeup and expensive clothing and jewels, looked exactly like her. They could have been identical to one another.

She stared at it for a long time as she felt the man's hands pull her closer towards him when he began to weep against her shoulder, brushing her long brown and matted hair with his finger tips as he murmured against her neck. "Please, baby. Please, Katherine. Come home with me. You don't belong here."

Elena swallowed hard. Knowing deep down that her response could go two ways and yet part of her wanted to know more about the woman in the photo and why they looked so much alike. So, as she held onto his shoulders and hugged him tightly, feeling as the tears from his eyes trickled down her skin. Elena took a sharp intake of breath and replied with the one answer that she knew would change her fate, as long as she kept up the ruse of being his mysteriously missing wife. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm okay now, I'm safe and I can't wait to go home with you."

* * *

_**A/N:** _ _So, what do you all think so far? The brothers and Klaus working together at Stefan and Damon's company. Also, the fact that Stefan is a recovering drug addict/ alcoholic and Elena..Well...Finally getting the taste of how the other side lives by going along with being Katherine. Hm...things are about to get_ _very_ _interesting! ;)_

**PLEASE** **let me know what you thought about this update and feel free to leave a review!**

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

_Thanks so much for reading! :)_

_-Until Next Time!-_


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Hope you all enjoy CH.2!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates to all of my current stories at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Two**

"Do you ever think about what you'd do if you lost me?" Rebekah asked him, making small circles against his back and watching as Damon leaned down to kiss her exposed neck, his hot breath dancing against her skin, his tongue licking the sea salt taste of her flesh , smiling at the memory of them spending the day at the beach together earlier in the morning.

"Mhhmm...I've thought about it. I'd go crazy. I honestly have no idea how my brother has been holding up for months without even knowing where Katherine is. I'm surprised that he didn't break his sobriety yet. Since he's on the edge most days anyway. It just takes on slip up, for someone like him." Damon commented, rolling them over the bed sheets, their legs tangled against each others as he smiled at Rebekah who gasped out a breath.

"Seriously, Damon. I'm trying to ask you about you and I and you're sitting here talking about your brother. I don't want to talk about, Stefan! I want to talk about us!" She hissed out, trying to release the grip Damon had against her body, her fingertips tracing lines against his rippled abs, a smirk on her face when she heard him inhale deeply through gritted teeth.

"Fine. You win! But, less talking and more of this..." Damon commented, bending down as his hand trailed against her thighs, stopping just short of Rebekah's black colored short skirt.

"Damon, you should be getting back to work." Rebekah said, staring up at him as she bit down on her lower lip and brought her hand up to touch Damon's face, watching with a smile on her face when he kissed her hand, kissing the tip of her ring that he had given her, just a few months ago when he had asked her to be his wife.

"Well, that's the great thing about being your own boss. You can mix work and pleasure. Now, where was I. Oh yeah, trying to..." His began to say, his voice trailing off when he licked his lips and locked his eyes on her. Intensely watching as Rebekah's head hit the back of the pillow behind her and her darkened desire filled blue eyes rolled in the back of her head when she felt Damon's fingertips trail beneath her underwear.

"Damon...We should really stop...Damon..I..." Rebekah said in between broken up breathes, closing her eyes and trying to regain her composure. But, failing miserable as she heard him laugh when he leaned down to kiss her lips, biting down on her tender flesh roughly as he spoke against her lips. "Business and pleasure, Rebekah. Neither can be rushed. Now, let's enjoy this while it lasts."

* * *

"Have you seen my cell phone? I still can't find it." Stefan told her, smiling as he looked up to see Elena sitting down on the bed in his bedroom, her fingertips twisting and turning nervously.

She said nothing as she shook her head, the water droplets from her shower flying every which way as she tried to speak. But, Stefan broke the silence between them.

"Katherine, I know that this is a huge adjustment. That's why I told Damon and everyone else to just leave us alone for the night, I haven't told him that your home yet. He just thinks I left the restaurant early because of work. Look, we'll get through this. You just need to talk to me about what happened? Sweetheart, I just want you to talk to me. It's just me..your husband, Stefan." Stefan begged, leaning down in front of Elena and placing his hands on her knees, his other hand against her cheek, slowly bringing up her face so that they were now eye level with each other.

"I couldn't handle this...I..Um...It's late, Stefan. We'll talk in the morning. I'm just going to go and downstairs to get a drink of water." Elena told him, trying to brush his hands away from her as she got up from her seat on the bed, hearing as he exhaled.

"Did you leave because of me? Because, in front of everyone I act like this damn recovering alcoholic and drug addict. But, you're the only one who knows my struggle...You're the only one who knows my secret." Stefan admitted, watching as Elena turned around, swallowing hard and taking in the small bit of information he was giving her. He wasn't a recovering addict at all..He was a struggling one, trying just as hard as she was to fight his own demons and past.

"You know, if you won't talk to me. How am I supposed to talk to you about my struggles. Katherine, Please...You're the only one who knows I'm still using. I'm a fraud, a liar. Everyone else doesn't know it..But, I put enough trust in you and told you that. Now, please..Whatever happened to you. We can figure it out, we can fix this." Stefan added, watching as Elena's hands tightened into fits and she exhaled deeply, clearing her throat and opening her mouth to speak, her back still turned away from him and towards the door as she talked.

"We'll get through this. We just need some time. Now, it's been a very long night and I need to go get some water from the kitchen. In the morning, we'll tell everyone that I'm back." Elena told him, opening the door handle and leaving the room. But, just as she did, she could feel Stefan's firm grip upon her wrist, pulling her against him. His hot breath swirling around her head as she leaned her head back on his shoulder and exhaled deeply.

"I want to you to know that I'm here for you. I love you, Katherine and however long it takes, I'll wait for you to open up to me again. Just like we once were." Stefan said, kissing the back of Elena's head as she felt him let go and when she turned, she could see the pain in his eyes, the look of hurt in his face when he sat down on the bed and shrugged his shoulders back.

* * *

Elena swallowed hard, the hem of her black and white laced night gown scratching against her skin as she walked out of the room and made her way down the stairs. She felt weird being in the same room as the woman's husband. It felt so wrong and yet, part of her. The part of her that wanted this so badly, this life that they lived with their fast cars, expensive furniture and beautiful views of a lake that anyone could see when they walked into the living room through its large and wide windows that encompassed most of the open space and their money..that small part of her, felt like this was the right thing to do. To take over 'Katherine's' life.

Elena exhaled deeply as she leaned against the mocha colored wall that separated part of the kitchen, leading directly into the spacious and modern looking living room. She quickly looked around and heard nothing as she slowly pulled out the cell phone she had hidden in a small pocket of her night gown.

"Come on, Come on...Hurry up." Elena muttered out, watching her shaking hands hold the phone closer to her eyes, her finger tips scrolling through _his_  cell phone for any information that she could find that could give her any more clues about Katherine. Elena stopped as she went directly to his text messages, reading them to herself. But, stopping completely when she came across one that read  **Caroline** on it.

Elena opened it and read the message, trying to make sense of it all.

_The event that Katherine planned for this month is in a few days and since she's not here anymore..Do you want me to cancel it?"_

_"No. We'll figure something out. I still believe that she'll be back. Have faith, Caroline. She was your best friend after all.."_

"You shouldn't read other people's messages. It's not very nice. But, then again. You're not a very nice person." The voice came from behind her, a thick British accent that nearly made Elena's heart jump out of her chest.

"I..um.. I just found Stefan's cell phone and was taking it back up stairs to him. Silly me, I pressed the wrong button trying to shut it off." She said, her hands continuing to shake as she turned around and locked eyes on a very tall, brown haired man. His hands crossed over his chest as he walked over to her, looking her up and down.

"Stefan never told me that you were back..Obviously, he was keeping you all to himself tonight. I mean..I know I would if Rose wasn't upstairs right now." Elijah told her, taking a step in the dark towards her, a small amount of light from the living room windows outlining his face in the night and Elena could see him lick his lips.

"Um..I just came down here to get some water and I was just leaving. I found his cell phone while I passed by. What's it to you if Stefan wants me with him?" Elena asked with a nervous chuckle. She could feel the heat around her begin to build as Elijah took his arm and wrapped it around her waistline, pulling her forward and making their faces just inches apart, their lips nearly touching as he spoke.

"You don't remember, Katherine..? Of course you don't. It's been a long time, since you've been home and well...You've been through quiet the ordeal tonight. I guess that's why he didn't want anyone to know you were home yet. He'll wait until the morning to announce your return, I suppose. The beautiful wife and socialite, Katherine Salvatore found safe and sound. By, her heartbroken husband, Stefan. That is going to be an amazing headline, the press will eat it up. Just wait until the reporters start knocking on the doors and this whole place starts getting the publicity it needs. It's like a sales tactic for the Salvatore's...Making money with interviews and photo opportunities of the miraculous return of you." He told her with a small smile, bringing up his other hand to brush a strand of Elena's straight hair away from her face.

" But, to answer your question. Maybe this will help you remember, why I get so jealous when you're with him." Elijah added, gently pushing Elena against the wall, lowering his hand so that it was lifting up the fabric of her gown. Her heart picked up a bit, the speed of it pounding against her ears as she closed her eyes and leaned back, trying to tell him to stop. "We shouldn't...Not here..What about Rose?" Elena questioned, feeling as his hands stopped and he leaned in to whisper against her ear, sucking on her ear lobe and brushing his lips against it as he answered her.

"My wife Rose is clueless about us and so is your husband. If we're smart. we can keep it this way..until we can leave them both like we talked about. Take the settlement money and run. I love you, Katerina and I've missed you so much. So, let this remind you of it and keep me in your thoughts until the morning." Elijah told her, pushing Elena back against the wall and kissing her. His fingertips tracing her jaw line as he deepened the kiss, breaking a part just for a moment to allow them both to breath, feeling as her body tensed against his grasp. Elena turned her head, placing her hand firmly against his chest and breathing heavily as she looked towards a picture of what she thought must be Katherine and Stefan when she opened her mouth to speak, her voice shook.

"I need to go. Stefan's probably wondering where I'm at. Please, let me go." Elena said, pushing herself away from Elijah and almost tripping over herself as she gripped Stefan's cell phone in his hands, taking a step on the stairs. Watching as Elijah wiped his lips and straightened himself out, locking his eyes on her as he smirked. "You and I both know that you get bored easily. Come find me when you get sick of him. Oh and one more thing, you should curl your hair again. It makes you look sexier and I know for a fact that both, Stefan and I like it that way."

* * *

Elena slowly entered the bedroom, her heart still racing as she leaned against the closed door to their room, taking a moment to catch her breath and trying to make sense of what was even going on. She heard as the water in the bathroom turned off and she quickly placed Stefan's cell phone on top of the dresser as she looked up at herself in the mirror.

"Do you like my hair like this?" She asked him, watching as Stefan rubbed a dark brown towel against his damp hair and he laughed a bit, walking up behind her and smiling from ear to ear.

"What kind of silly question is that, Katherine? You haven't really spoken to me all night since we drove back here and now that's the first thing you ask. For God sakes, you're one of the most photographed women in all of Chicago and the most desired. Every single one of your pictures is flawless. So, what type of person would I be if you had to be perfect in my presence too. Listen to me. You're perfect, just the way you are." He told her, watching as Elena smiled up at him and looked at their reflection in the mirror. It was this, being here with him. A loving and kind man that she had always dreamed of. But, her conscious told her, reminded her quickly that this wasn't her life as she turned her head and looked up to see a picture of the real woman he loved staring back at her. Elena quietly tried to ignore it as she felt Stefan kiss her neck and exhaled against her skin.

"I'm just trying to be a good husband to my wife who seems to be everyone else's. Except for mine." Stefan commented, watching as Elena's eyes fluttered open and she turned in his arms to face him. Her trembling hands gliding against his cheek as she looked up at him and spoke in a curious tone. She was thrown off for a moment, Katherine and Stefan seemed to have a perfect marriage, one that was envied by everyone and yet, his words were cruel and laced with a hate that Elena couldn't seem to place. Maybe he knew about her and the dark haired man from earlier? Maybe he knew that his 'faithful' wife was having an affair with a man that seemed to love her just as equally and just as Stefan, wanted  _her_  all to himself.

"That's nonsense. I love you, Stefan. You know that." Elena tried to say, reassuring him and watching as he looked down at the floor, suddenly staring down at her bare left hand.

"Well, if you love me as much as you claim. Then, where's your wedding ring, Katherine. You always wear it and have never taken it off. So, where is it?" Stefan pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest and watching as Elena shuffled her weight from one foot to the other. She had totally forgot about the small details of Katherine's life..She barely even knew her and yet, she shouldn't have been so focused on the resemblance between the two and more in the small details, like this one. The wedding ring that was on her hand, in almost every picture that was around the house of them!

Elena inhaled deeply, rubbing her left hand as she laughed and ran her hands through her hair nervously. "It must have fallen off when I was in one of the shelters. Look, it's not a big deal." She tried to say, watching as Stefan gave her a confused look and then scoffed.

"Not a big deal? That wedding ring was a family heirloom. It was my great grandmothers! That ring..I thought you loved it!" Stefan exclaimed, looking around the room at one of their wedding photos.

"Stefan, I'll find it. Okay? It's totally fine. I'll just go back to where I..um..where I last had it. It could even be somewhere in the house.." Elena said, trying to shake the feeling that she had in the pit of her stomach, all of her thoughts going to needing to find out more information about her link to Katherine and Katherine's life if she had any chance in pulling the biggest lie of her life off correctly.

"I'm going to go in search of it, right now to give you some peace of mind." Elena explained, glancing over to see Stefan shrug his shoulders, pulling off the covers from the bed and rolling back the sheets as he slipped underneath them. "Fine, do whatever you want. Besides, who am I to stop a woman who does everything she always wants. Go look for it. Good luck!" Stefan said, rolling over on his side and pulling the covers over his shoulders, exhaling sharply.

"Stefan..." She began to say, gazing over to see him cover his ear with a pillow as he waved her off, not even bothering to look up when Elena turned off the lights in the room and closed the door behind her, making her way in search of more answers, in search of the connection she so desperately needed. Why her and Katherine looked so alike?

* * *

It hadn't taken Elena very long to find his office. Even though the house was huge and the rooms all spaciously spread out. When Elena walked down the hallway and to the other side of the nearly empty rooms, she could sense that one of the offices in the corner of the house was Stefan's just by noticing that the door wasn't closed and there was a dim light coming from it.

Elena turned on the light cautiously as she looked behind her, making sure that she hadn't been followed as she propped the door open and looked around. The room was large, four windows covered with red curtains, a white area rug in the middle of the room with a large oak wooden desk in the middle of it all and an even larger over sized black office chair placed behind the desk. All of his walls were covered with pictures of he and Katherine or all sorts of plaques that the company had received from events that Elena had never even known existed before. The other half of the room had four large bookcases that had practically every current and old book neatly placed together. But, as her walked over to the books and her hands went to touch one of the them. Elena's eyes quickly spotted something that could help her. A laptop that was still warm from its use, laying flat on the desk.

She took a deep breath as she walked over to it, looking down at it with trembling hands. "Pull it together, Elena." She uttered out softly before she started up the laptop in Stefan's office. Elena watched as her shaking hands touched the mouse pad on the computer and when it came to life with its screen. Her hands hovered over the keyboard for a long moment as she took a deep breath and began to type. But just as her hands touched the keys to finish her search phrase. Elena heard his raspy voice, his face falling as he looked over at her and shook his head. "What are you doing in here, Katherine? I've told you to not touch my laptop multiple times. So, how about that wedding ring? Did you find it?" Stefan asked her, taking a step towards the desk, giving her a confused look and watching as she let out a nervous laugh, looking up at him in total surprise.

"The light was left off and I just came in here to shut it off, noticed the laptop was on too. So, I thought that I'd just turn it off as well." Elena tried to explain. But, she could tell that Stefan wasn't buying it as he took the laptop from her, turning it towards himself, looking down at the computer screen and scoffing at her words.

"I'm calling your bluff. You didn't come in here to look for the ring. You came in here to snoop around my office. So, tell me sweetheart. Why are you researching yourself ?" Stefan asked her, looking down at the words in the search engine that Elena had just typed that clearly read :  **'Katherine Salvatore, missing from Chicago, Illinois.'**

* * *

**A/N: Hm..Anyone curious how Elena's going to lie about this one. And, how did Katherine disappear in the first place if she's practically watched by everyone, everywhere she goes..Well..The new few updates will include a few flashbacks of Katherine and will reveal more about her relationships with both Elijah and Stefan! ;)**

_**PLEASE** _ _**let me know what you thought about this chapter and feel free to leave a review!** _

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_Thanks so much for reading! :)_

_-Until Next Time!-_


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey all! Thanks so much for all of your lovely reviews and interest in this story! :)**

**Hope you all enjoy CH.3!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates to all of my current stories at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**-Within Temptation- Chapter Three-**

_It was conventions and events like these that Katherine hated the most, people all walking up to tables, asking random questions that no one seemed to even give a damn about. But, it was the little things like being strapped for cash with her aunt Jenna who owned a small boutique full of old antiques in the heart of Chicago that made Katherine want to help out even if being in crowded buildings full of people brushing against each other and trying to make contacts with anyone they could made her feel uncomfortable._

_"If anyone doesn't come and sign up to help us with this little fundraiser we're doing. Do you realize what's going to happen to your store and my debt that keeps mounting because my amazing and wonderful parents, Isobel and John Gilbert have felt guilty for sending me to a very prestigious school. To an Ivy league school, full of kids that have their families inheritances and loads of money to work with. Me on the other hand, I've had to work very hard to make a name for myself at Princeton. It hasn't been very easy. They could only raise one kid and it was me. I got lucky being an only child, you know. That's at least what my mom always says." Katherine told her, watching as Jenna smiled and patted her on the back, sitting down behind her as she watched Katherine work her magic on the crowd of people around her. Including the two young men that came walking up to their table, all smiles and in polished black shoes, nice pressed black suits._

_"Antique's, huh? Our father has a company called Dasells. We help smaller business's out as well with helping market their items in our stores and then we split the profits of whatever sells. I could surly tell him about this one. What's it called?" The taller and older looking man asked, flipping a pamphlet that he had lifted up from the top of the table in his hands, reading the back of it to himself._

_"It's called Jenna's. Named after my mom's sister, who's actually sitting right over there, behind me. I'd like that a lot. Maybe your dad knows of someone who could help us out. We have a small boutique on 6078 Ravenswood Ave in downtown. If you're interested in seeing what you might be getting involved in. You can swing by." Katherine commented, locking her eyes on one of them as she heard them both laugh, giving her a sweet and genuine smile._

_"Yeah, since my brother Damon over here is really trying to get the old man's seat of becoming CEO one day. I'm sure he'd like to stop by. Maybe I'll come with him." Stefan told her, smiling widely as he watched Katherine hand him another smaller business card, one with her name written on the back of it._

_"Well, Miss Katherine Gilbert. I'm Stefan and I guess I'll be seeing you around." He told her, turning away from Katherine and smiling at Damon who was already flirting with another pretty petite blonde near the table across from him. Stefan shook his head as the blonde girl smiled and placed her hand onto his arm, handing him her phone number._

_"Sure." Katherine said in a tone that was just above a whisper, her voice seeming to fade a bit more as she watched them walk away and once they were completely out of sight, she could hear Jenna laugh. "Oh, honey. I don't think he wants to just see those silly antiques. He wants to see you again, that's for sure."_

_"A guy like that..Jenna he looks like he just walked out an Armani ad! I don't think he'd go for the simple girl from Schaumburg, Illinois that pretends that she's just as rich as they clearly are! Did you see their suits!" Katherine exclaimed, hearing as Jenna let out another laugh and shook her head. Leaning forward and placing her hand on top of Katherine's, locking her eyes on her._

_"Don't sell yourself short, sweetie. You never know what their connections may be and one day, maybe you'll be just as wealthy as they are." Jenna advised her, watching a smile tug at Katherine's lips when she turned around and exhaled. Instantly shaking off the words her aunt had spoken and feeling as if her dreams of making her aunt's company go big one day would never come true._

Stefan's memories of the first time he had met Katherine and the look in her eyes, the one of total intrigue were all washed away by the same look in Elena's. When he spoke to her again, this time a bit more harshly. "So, do I need to make myself repeat the words I just spoke or are you going to be speaking up anytime soon?" Stefan asked her, hearing as Elena nervously let out a laugh, the redness on her face a clear indication of her feeling embarrassed that she had been caught, especially by him.

It took her a long moment to think. To try and convince herself that the next few phrases that came out of her mouth weren't a lie and indeed the truth. Partly, she was really trying to believe her own words as she looked up at him and spoke with a firm and convincing tone. "I was trying to remember who kidnapped me. Hoping that I would see it on the news or online. He's still out there you know, the man who did this to me and made me too afraid to come home..He's still lurking."

She watched as Stefan looked over at her, exhaling deeply as he closed the laptop and got up from the desk he had been sitting on. Elena watched as he ran his hands through his hand and suddenly extended out his hands towards her. "Come here." He said simply. It was more of a pleading than a demand and Elena could see it in his eyes, he was genuinely worried about the woman she was pretending to be.

Elena stayed silent as she got up from the chair and walked over to him, standing beside him and yet still so unaware of what he had in mind. He was hard to read, hard to figure out and since she was so used to people who could show their emotions straight away. There was something about Stefan that seemed a little too emotionless in the moment, a little too cold and it bothered her more than she was willing to admit to herself.

She watched with cautious brown eyes as he lifted his hands towards her and rested one of his hands on the middle of her back, the other lifting up slowly to caress her cheeks as he spoke to her in a soft tone. "I want you to feel safe with me. The man who did this to you will be found and brought to justice. But, Katherine I want you to feel safe with me. You don't need to worry about him. I'll handle it." He reassured her, leaning into Elena, just about to kiss her lips.

"Stefan, I do feel safe with you..I just need some time to readjust to this life." She said softly, resting her own hands against his shoulders. Feeling the warmth in her body that seemed to appear when he continued to touch her face, his fingertips sliding into her hair.

"Good. Does this make you feel safe now?" He asked her with a raspy tone in his voice, trying to clear his throat and leaning into her once more as he watched her nod and she blushed a little, feeling his hand that was against her back, sliding across to her hips and slowly making it's way underneath her night white and black lacy night gown.

" If that doesn't. Then, does this make you feel safe?" Stefan asked her again, his lips just inches away from her ear. Elena could feel herself tremble at his words. She had no idea how to control what he was doing to her, how she was feeling at the way his hands touched her, his lips and hot pressed mouth on her skin sent Elena into a tailspin of emotions that she had never felt before, not even with Matt and it was a scary feeling. Being vulnerable around this mysterious man that made her want to feel everything imaginable.

It was like a shock of electrifying chemistry between them and she wanted more. She could feel Stefan's muscles tense against her small petite frame as he turned them so that her back was pressed against the edge of the desk that she had been sitting at just moments prior to him finding her. Elena tried to speak, to utter out something she figured that his wife would say in the moment, something catchy. Yet, nothing came to mind because all she could focus on was the scent of him, the warmth of his hands on her skin and the look of longing and hunger in his forest green eyes. It was like he suddenly became a famished animal, trying so hard to control his hunger for her but at every touch of his hand against her skin it became harder and harder to deny that he wanted her. All of her right there and then just as she was.

"Stefan..maybe we should stop..Maybe we need to slow down a little." Elena urged him, feeling the heat radiating off his skin as he kissed her neck, trailing down a line to her left shoulder.

"Slow down? Katherine...I've spent months thinking that you were dead. I can't slow down. I've missed you, I've missed the way your heart races under my fingertips. The way your eyes give away everything you're feeling. Like, at the moment. You're begging me to stop and yet, your brown eyes are sparkling with more desire than I have ever seen before!" Stefan observed, smiling at the thought of how she was looking at him, full of wonder and curiosity laced with desire and want.

Elena could feel his hands cup her butt as he slowly watched her arms push a few of the things back towards the other end of his desk. He smirked when he heard a book drop to the floor of his office, along with a few other things that he wasn't concerned about because all he wanted was her in his arms, fulfilling his every need.

"Katherine, don't deny it. Let me to make you feel safe, to hold you in my arms and to prove to you that from now on that I'm never taking my eyes off of you." Stefan told her, hearing as Elena swallowed the lump in her throat. She silently tried to silence her mind, silence the part of it that was screaming how wrong this all way. He was a married man after all and there she was, playing the charade of the wife that he clearly loved.

However Elena secretly knew that she had to find out more about his wife and Stefan was the key to knowing more about who Katherine was than any of them. So, as she felt the tingling of the soft touch from his hands against her skin again, gliding their way underneath her night gown. Elena bit down on her lower lip and placed her hands around his neck, leaning her head against him and taking her legs that were dangling over the desk, wrapping them securely around his waistline.

She watched as Stefan licked his lips, his green and loving eyes locking on her brown and mischievous gaze when she leaned in to him and brushed her soft and plush lips against his, pulling down on his lower lip with her teeth and breathing with a staggered breath as he groaned. Pulling her body closer to his and running one of her hands down his back, making small strokes against his flesh.

She didn't know what to say anymore. All her protests silenced as he opened his mouth and kissed her. An open mouthed kiss that made her want to disappear into a pool of nothingness. Their tongues and mouths quenching the thirst for longing, the taste of mint could be tasted upon his lips. Sweet and refreshing. As she inhaled deeply and pulled herself closer to him, Elena could feel her heart pounding with nervousness, but she ignored it. Softly running her hands through his hair and moaning into his mouth as Stefan deepened the kiss between them and molded their bodies together so that there was barely any space between them.

She could feel him trace his fingers against her jaw line, grazing the lines of her face and when Elena opened her eyes. A smile was evident and couldn't be washed away on her lips and she could tell that Stefan was feeling the same she was, in pure bliss. That was until they both heard the shrilling noise of a woman as she stumbled into the room and shouted "Oh my God. Elijah was right! Katherine, you're home!"

Stefan held Elena against his chest protectively, kissing the top of her head and glancing over to see the blonde stand near the door, gawking at them both. "Well aren't you two going to invite me in. I know it's late and I should have called first. But, Klaus is home sleeping and I wanted to see if it was true for myself. I couldn't wait until the morning. Oh my god! And here she really is, my best friend. Katherine Salvatore. Finally home safe, sound and already in the arms of her husband!" Caroline exclaimed, nearly pushing Stefan out of the way as she walked over to Elena and embraced her excitedly. "I'm so happy you're home!"

Elena looked over at Stefan as she felt Caroline tighten her grip around her, watching as he shrugged his shoulders back and smirked. "Caroline..we were in the middle of something." Stefan tried to say as he watched the bubbly blonde lift her hand up to silence him.

"So was I. But, I made sure he was completely exhausted before I came here to ruin your night." Caroline commented with a wink, turning away from Elena and towards Stefan again. She watched him shake his head and mumble out. "I should have known. Because, if he was still awake. He wouldn't have let you leave the house..unsupervised." Stefan said in a joking manner, regretting his words when Caroline turned her head to look at him and glared in his direction.

"Klaus let's me do whatever I please. So, you can take your comment and shove it." Caroline suggested with an annoyed laugh, waving Stefan off as she said "Your wife and I have a lot of talking to do about our needy husband's. So, excuse us as we catch up." Caroline commented, pivoting on the soles of her heels and walking over towards Stefan, shoving him reluctantly out of the room. Closing the door behind her as Caroline leaned against it and waited for a minute until she heard footsteps walking away from the door before she opened her mouth and muttered out. "Why in the hell is my brother in law. The man your cheating on your husband with the one telling me that your back home and not Stefan?"

Elena let out a nervous laugh, tugging down at her night gown and running her hands through her hair as she smiled and said in a shocked tone. " You know about us?"

She watched as Caroline nodded and secured her eyes on Elena. "I've known for over a year about how much my brother in law loves you and how much you love him. So, yeah. I know about the affair. But, I would never tell anyone about it because if I were to do that it would ruin our friendship. So, please continue." Caroline said, placing her hands over her chest and waving her hand at Elena, waiting for her to eagerly add more.

"I sort of ran into Elijah earlier and we..we had a discussion about my return. I'm sorry. But, I just didn't want to tell everyone I was back until I felt comfortable enough to do so." Elena explained, looking up at the blonde, smiling widely. Elena quietly analyzed her own words as she thought about the small truth in them. She wasn't comfortable enough to be Katherine. But, she had a feeling that once she found out more about Katherine's life and spent some time around her acquaintances . Elena would eventually learn to become everything that Katherine clearly was...a fraudulent and scheming woman that believed her own lies.

* * *

A/N: So... Caroline knowing about the affair...Hmm...Seems like not everything can be kept a secret! ;)

_**PLEASE let me know what you thought about this chapter and feel free to leave a review!** _

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_Thanks so much for reading! :)_

_-Until Next Time!-_


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Hope you all enjoy CH.4!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading & Enjoy!**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Four-**

Elena had been spending the last few days with Caroline Mikaelson and in another life time, if she wasn't playing the so far convincing role of Katherine so well, she could have personally seen her and Caroline be best friends. "So, the event will be held here." Caroline told her, pushing the glass double doors open and revealing the venue for the gala where they would be holding a celebration of Katherine's return and a very big reveal for Stefan and Damon's antique's business.

"Caroline, we can't afford this...I mean, how will Stefan afford this?" Elena quickly corrected herself, watching as the blonde flipped her hair back and smiled, looking up at the vaulted ceilings with the European style crown molding and the bronze painted walls.

"It's going to go on Dasells tab. Neither of you have to worry about a thing. I'm a professional decorator anyways and I'll be able to get everything done in time for it. I might just need to have Sarah help me out a bit. I mean, she's 6 years old. But, the kid has taste, just like her mother." Caroline told her in a proud tone, smiling as she looked down at her cell phone in her hands and heard Elena question the little girl's name.

"Sarah?" Elena heard herself say out loud, watching as Caroline gave her a confused look and flipped through her cell phone, lifting it up in front of Elena's face to show off her beautiful dirty blonde haired and blue eyed little girl.

"You remember my daughter don't you? I mean, it's been a while since you've seen her. But, you should be meeting her again in a little while. Klaus is actually meeting us here to go over the details of where things are going to be placed and tell you a little bit more about what's going to be happening here in the next few days." Caroline explained, watching as Elena nodded and took a step onto the dance floor on the right side of the large empty room.

"How many people are going to be at this event?" Elena asked her, pushing a strand of her long brown and curly hair behind her ears as she watched Caroline grin before she answered.

"Around 250 people or so. I mean, I'm counting the reporters and all the staff that will be needed for catering. But, as far as family and friends go, there will be around 50-100 people that really want to see you." She added, watching as Elena's face turned a slight shade of white when she mentioned the number...50-100 people, all packed into a room...Every single one of them believing that she was Katherine Salvatore!

"Oh, are the events I attend usually that big?" Elena could hear herself ask out loud, watching as Caroline tilted her head to the side and smiled.

"Are you feeling okay today? I know it's been almost a week since you've been back and all. But, Katherine. Your like a power house in this town, everyone knows who you are and we always hold lavish events because that's what you and Stefan want, you like to show off too. Besides, Elijah will be by your side for some of the night too. He'll be helping you write the speech that you'll be giving on Saturday. Although, he said for you to go back home and he'll pick you up later to come back here." Caroline commented, watching as Elena turned around to look at her, her eyes growing when she mentioned Elijah's name.

"He's going to be here with me, alone?" Elena asked, watching as Caroline nodded and began to clear her throat. But, Elena cut her off.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about my affair with Elijah? Why haven't you told Stefan about it?" She asked her, listening when Caroline exhaled deeply and sat down on a chair that was near the wall that they stood at, crossing her legs over each other and pulling down her short black dress as she looked down at her own hands, spinning her wedding band around when she said. "Because, you like having Stefan around for things like this...for public appearances and we both know that you would never leave him. He gives you things that Elijah never can. And, why would I want to ruin that for you. Plus, you're my best friend and you know some of my darkest secrets too...One that not even my husband knows about."

"Caroline, I-" Elena began to say as she glanced over to see the sudden sad expression on the blonde's face. But, just when she tried to add more and try to find out what she meant by what she was saying. They both looked up to see the sound of a little girl, her voice echoing throughout the empty building as she ran down the stairs to where they sat and shouted "Momma!"

* * *

"Sarah! I said wait for me, not run away!" Klaus grumbled as he entered the room, following right behind his daughter, slowly walking down the stairs to the girls.

"I can't believe my eyes, Katherine Salvatore. Wow, you still look stunning." Klaus said, walking up to Elena and pulling her into a hug, smiling at his wife who now had their daughter in her lap and was pulling out the mess of a pony tail that Klaus had put on top of her head.

"Thank you. Klaus...It's been a while." Elena said, smiling with a sincere look on her face. He seemed friendly, Caroline's husband. And, Elena instantly felt comfortable around the two of them. Although, maybe it was because unlike everyone else around her lately or in the house she was now sharing with the Salvatore brothers. Caroline and Klaus seemed to actually accept her and didn't ask very many questions when she seemed confused about things, playing it off as memory loss because of post traumatic stress syndrome. But, really it was because she had been spending late nights in a room that was away from everyone's prying eyes, trying to piece Katherine's life together and who she seemed to like and didn't like. Also, how she was connected to Elena. Which, she still had a hard time trying to figure out.

So far, Elena had learned that Klaus and Caroline went way back with Katherine. During her college years at Princeton. Caroline and Katherine were roommates and back then, they had been set up on a double date when they had come back home to Chicago for the weekend. With two close friend, Klaus and Stefan. Caroline was out with Stefan and Katherine was with Klaus that night. Although, the night didn't end up as planned, Katherine had turned down Klaus's advances for Stefan's and Caroline had politely told Stefan she was interested in his friend, Klaus.

"So, have we gotten the planning ready for Saturday night?" Klaus asked them, stepping towards Caroline and placing his hand onto his wife's shoulder, playing with her hair as he listened to Elena tell them that she thought it would be best if they all just sat down together with Stefan and tried to figure out the details.

"Well, I'd love to do that. But, I have a board meeting in about a half hour with your husband and his brother. I'm assuming that you three can take care of this instead. We are busy men..." He said, his voice trailing off as he patted his daughter's head.

"But, daddy. I wanna go with you!" Sarah pouted, lifting up her hands towards Klaus as Caroline allowed him to pick up their daughter and place her against his hip, smiling as the little girl buried her face against her dad's neck.

"I know sweetheart. But, the thing is that daddy has to go to work and you can spend some fun time with your auntie Katherine and your mommy. I'll be back in a few hours and then we can all go out for a treat." He told her, wrapping his arms around her tightly and tickling Sarah's sides as a small shriek escaped out of her mouth and she giggled.

"A treat? Like a big ice cream sundae?" She asked him, her blue eyes lighting up as he smiled at her and kissed her forehead, slowly placing her down onto the ground and bending to be eye level with his daughter.

"Anything you want. But, you need to be good for mommy and auntie Katherine. Be a good listener. Then, mommy and I will take you to your favorite place tonight." Klaus told her, kissing her cheeks as she smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around her dad. "I love you!" She shouted, smiling from ear to ear as Klaus kissed her once more. Elena watched as he leaned over towards Caroline and placed a kiss upon her lips, telling her that he'd see her later tonight, turning to wave at them and disappearing out of the venue without another word.

* * *

"All I'm trying to say is that we're losing money, Stefan! This whole merger plan with what used to be Katherine's auntie's boutique is bringing us down a bit. Her stuff is old and it's been sitting in a warehouse for months now! We need to tell Jenna that we're severing ties with her company." Damon explained, glancing thru the large glass windows of the 5th floor conference room they were all sitting in and seeing that Klaus was walking down the hallway in his suit, fixing one of the buttons before opening the door just a bit so that he didn't disturb anyone when he slipped in for the meeting.

"Damon." Klaus said in acknowledgment. Watching as Damon shook his head and a smile lingered on his face. "Nice of you to join us, Mr. Mikaelson! So, Klaus..What's the excuse this time for being late?" Damon hissed out.

He watched as Klaus sat down and opened a folder, sliding it across to Stefan at the large table that seated 10 people. "It's family matter's really. Sarah, she had daycare and I had to drop her off with Caroline because the place closed early. A couple idiots were trying to take pictures outside of my daughters daycare and they complained. So, I took her to be with her mother and then I got stuck in traffic." He explained, watching as Damon rolled his eyes and slammed down a stack of papers in front of the three men that were sitting at the table.

"You don't need to be such a jerk to him, Damon. Just because you don't know what it's like to have kids. Doesn't give you the right to be an asshole! I told you that Klaus has a family and they come first for him. Unlike most of us, where this company takes up a majority of our time." Stefan scolded his brother, hearing was Damon scoffed at his words and sat down at the head of the table.

"Look, I'm sorry that I can't be more sympathetic towards your needs. But, here's the thing Klaus. When we promoted you to chairman of the board. My brother and I made it fairly clear that you'd have to be on time for these meetings." He said, as Stefan let out a laugh and placed his hands onto the table, glaring at his brother before he spoke to him directly.

"That was actually your wording. Not mine. I for one, understand that having a family means responsibilities. Unlike, you. All you and your wife seem to give a damn about is the money that comes along with this company and its name. Shocking, since her brother could have all the things he wants and yet. Caroline and Klaus decide to live as modestly as they can. Considering his wife grew up in a household where her wealthy family gave her everything she ever wanted. What is it that they call that, Klaus?"

"They call it old money, Stefan. Caroline's mother and father both came from wealthy families and inherited a lot of money from their own parents, which in turn they passed down to Caroline. But, the thing about my wife is that she could care less about it. She hates the way she was raised, to be all proper and perfect all the time. That's why her and I are trying to raise Sarah differently, but with some of the same respect and morals that Caroline and I had growing up." Klaus explained, looking over at Damon who was leaning back into his seat, arms above his head as he grinned.

"That's cute. A family history lesson about the Mikaelson/Forbes household. Now, on to more important business like how are we going to tell Katherine that we need to stop being her Aunt Jenna's contributors to her business and allow her to try operating on her own without our help and money." Damon said in a sarcastic tone. Causing Stefan to clear his throat and abruptly get up from his seat, looking at both Elijah and Klaus who were sitting across from him.

"Will you both excuse my brother and I for a minute. I need to talk to him, privately." Stefan informed them, watching as the the guys got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them and walking down the hallway towards the small cafeteria that they had set up in the building.

"What in the hell is wrong with you, Damon! Why are you being such a jerk to Klaus. I thought we talked about this already. I told you to cut him some slack!" He could hear himself shout out, looking over at Damon with an angered look on his face.

"Have you ever noticed that your wife has been spending a lot of time with Elijah these last few days and the Mikaelson's in general. I mean, maybe it has something to do with you spending your nights here...?" Damon asked him, his question lingering in the air as Stefan gave him a confused look.

"Your changing the subject on me! Don't do that. What does Katherine have to do with Elijah or Klaus. They've been friends for years, we both know that..What does this even have to do with Klaus and his daughter, Sarah. Plus, your soon to be wife is a Mikaelson, need I remind you of that! So, if you were smart, you'd show a little respect to your brother in law!" Stefan bellowed, staring down his brother as he heard Damon let out a small chuckle.

"All, I'm saying is that Elijah stands too close to her sometimes, they laugh a little too much and they seemed to be getting a little too cozy at lunch the other day." Damon told her, watching as Stefan ran his fingers through his hair and laughed.

"You are being ridiculous, Damon. Elijah and Katherine have been friends for a few years. I was the one who actually introduced them to one another when you and I were just starting out the company. Don't you remember? Believe me, Damon. I'd know if something was going on between them and for where I'm standing. Nothing is, so drop it and start being nice to Klaus..for all of our sakes!" Stefan warned him, getting up from his chair and turning to look back at his brother, shaking his head before he left the room to join Klaus and Elijah back inside the lobby of Dasell's antiques.

"All I'm saying is that maybe you need to stop worrying about my relationship with my fiance and focus in on your relationship with your wife!" Damon shouted, glancing over to see Stefan give him a dirty look before he walked away completely.

* * *

It was late when she came back from spending most of her day with Caroline and Sarah. And, for the first time in the last few days. Elena was finally feeling like she had found a friend in Caroline and her daughter. Although, there was something that still didn't add up, how secretive everyone else seemed to be around her and how Stefan's brother and sister in law seemed to be the one's most annoyed by 'Katherine' being back home and her spending these last few days with Elijah, since Stefan was a work and had asked for Elijah to keep an eye on Katherine while he was away.

Elena walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, leaning against it as she closed the door to it and leaned her head against the cool stainless steel, exhaling deeply and closing her had been waiting around for Elijah and he still hadn't showed up when he was supposed to, causing Elena to become fairly impatient.

"Long day?" A voice came from behind her, causing Elena to almost jump out of her skin as she turned and noticed who was talking to her, Rebekah..Damon's fiancé.

"Yeah, something like that. It's just been kind of hectic with all these details about the party that I'm helping plan with Caroline. I guess it's partly for me and for the company. I just hope that Stefan will be able to make it, since he's been working a lot these last few days. It's nice to be back though, you know. With everyone welcoming me and all... I've really missed you all." Her voice trailed off as she watched Rebekah smile and then just before Elena could add more. Rebekah turned to face her, grinning from ear to ear when she saw the glass of water in the brunette's hands shake a bit. Suddenly, Elena could feel Rebekah's arm firmly press against her windpipe as the glass in Elena's hand shattered to the ground and she locked her darkened blue eyes on her, pushing her back up against the cold refrigerator.

" Yeah, I've realized that I haven't really said my welcome home speech to you. Well, here it is. Listen to me, you little manipulative whore. I don't know what's going between you and my brother. But, he's married and very in love with his wife. And, I personally think that the flirting with you that he's been doing in front of me and Damon, isn't cute! It's more of a problem and it needs to stop because you don't want to become a home wrecker now do you?" Rebekah asked, tightening the pressure of her arm onto Elena's throat and watching as her brown eyes grew with fear when she nodded at her question and uttered out a in raspy tone, just above a whisper. "I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't flirting with Elijah, I was just being nice to him. Stefan told him to look after me. I'm not a doing anything with him!"

"Oh, you stupid little rich girl..Everyone may love you and a lot of people may be happy that you're home, Katherine. But, I sure as hell would have been totally fine if you were still missing, maybe even declared dead! Stay away from Elijah and keep your hands to yourself or you will be in a world of pain." Rebekah hissed out, taking away her arm from Elena's throat and straightening out the brunette's shirt, giving her a sinister smile as she leaned into her ear and whispered. "That's your first and last warning. Next time, there won't be one. Welcome home, Katherine Salvatore, the queen of Chicago returns! Ha, not for long once I find out your dirty little secrets..You may be on top of the world now, Katherine. But, your world will come crashing down, sooner or later!"

* * *

**A/N: Hm...Any guesses as to what Caroline's hiding and what's up with Rebekah not liking Elena/ "Katherine" so much..looks like Damon's fiance isn't as nice as she seems to be and she's fairly suspicious of Elena too! ;)**

_**PLEASE** _ _**let me know what you thought about this update and feel free to leave a review!** _

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

**_-Until Next Time!-_ **


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**Within Temptation-Chapter Five-**

"Katherine, Mrs. Salvatore!" The paparazzi shouted at her as she made down the street and into the venue for the event that was going to be held for Dasells and herself on Saturday evening.

"How does it feel to be back home? Do you know who kidnapped you? How does your husband feel to have you back beside him, the queen of Chicago!" Another person shouted at Elena as she turned towards them and politely spoke in a soft tone. "I decline to comment!"

She quickly opened the entrance doors to the building and closed them shut just as fast, leaning her head against the wall that was nearby and exhaling deeply.

"And, that's why you don't enter any building you go into through the front doors, Katherine! How many times do we have to remind you of this?" Elijah asked her, looking down at her shoes that she was wearing, something about her whole outfit seemed off to be exact and Elena could tell that from looking directly at her that Elijah wasn't pleased.

"You look like a street bum! What the hell are you wearing?" He questioned, pinching the bridge of his nose and pulling Elena by her arm, towards the same direction of the building that her and Caroline had spent a few hours in, earlier in the day.

"I'm comfortable in this..So what?" She said, looking down at her converse and the shirt she was wearing, it wasn't anything special at all. Just a plain black and white lined shirt that had the letters "DKNY" on the front of it and Elena figured that it would be fine just for a casual appearance and her meeting with Elijah.

"A woman like you, never dresses like that! You need to look your best and all times, for all of those reporters out there or they will bash you in the tabloids! And, what is going on with your hair?" He asked her with a laugh, looking up at Elena's long brown hair thrown into a ponytail.

"I wanted something different to wear, something a bit more comfortable. What's the big deal?" She asked him, looking up to see where they were going and noticing that it was not the same place that she had been to earlier with Caroline. Elijah had taken her to a large office room instead that already had a set of blue prints and a few designs laid out for them to look over.

"Fine, whatever. Look, let's get down to business. We have a speech to go over and write." He told her, dismissing the fact that his beautiful Katerina looked as if she had just walked out a thrift shop and not a runway show.

"So, where do we start?" Elena asked him, turning to see Eliajh roll his eyes when he sat down at the table and flipped open a file, looking up at her slowly as he cleared his throat.

"I want you to start with your speech. Come on, let's hear it." He commented with a smile, leaning back and gazing up at Elena whose eyes widened at his words. "Okay..here's goes nothing." She said with a smile, lifting up the piece of paper into her hands and reciting the words that were written on it.

* * *

The water was hot on her skin as Elena washed away the day's worries and leaned her hands against the mocha colored tiles that lined the bathroom walls in _their_ room.

"So, how did the meeting with Elijah go?" Stefan's voice echoed into the bathroom, causing Elena to lift her head up quickly from underneath the soaking shower head.

"It went good. Just usually business talk. But, we got the speech done. I guess it helped that Elijah had already written part of it for me." Elena's hoarse voice trailed off when she closed her eyes and listened to what he was doing. But, it was hard to hear anything over the sound of the rushing water in the bathroom. Although, Elena could feel her heart pounding against her chest, her muscles all tightening and her head spinning in circles when she looked up to see part of the curtain pushed back. Yet, she thought nothing of it as she stepped forward and tried to close it shut, still trying to hear if Stefan was in the room with her or not. But, from the calmed and silent noise, she figured that he had left.

Elena leaned her head back, closing her eyes and relishing in the warmth of the heated water and pulsating pressure against her cool skin. She slowly turned to grab the shampoo bottle from the side of the shower and just when she got back up with it her hands, she could feel his warm and soft hand touch her shoulder. "I was just wondering when you'd be done with your shower? Because, if you'll be awhile. I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I joined you?" Stefan asked her, feeling as her whole body tensed at his touch and he left a moist kiss upon her right shoulder, pulling her towards him and working his hands down her body, stroking her soft skin.

"I...I...No, it's fine." Elena replied in a fumbling way with her words. She quickly swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and breathed through her nose as she felt Stefan's hands gently turn her towards him and he whispered against her ear. "You're beautiful, you know. Every man in this town wants you, Katherine and somehow you ended up with me. I like being the only one who can have you, all to myself. All of you, everyday. I wouldn't give this up for the world." Stefan told her, lifting up Elena's chin with his finger tips and pushing her gently back towards the shower wall, his hands cupping her breasts as she closed her eyes and muttered out in a breathy tone.

"Stefan, we shouldn't..not in here.." Elena murmured, feeling as his hands roamed her body again and his lips trailed slow kisses on her wet skin. The feeling of Stefan's lips on her body made Elena want to scream. She wanted to tell him right there and then that she wasn't Katherine. But, all she could release out of her nearly paralyzed vocal cords was a moan when her shaking arms wrapped themselves around Stefan's neck and she pulled him into an abrupt kiss.

The kiss wasn't like the one in his office, it was a bit more rough, a bit more hunger filled and when his lips reached hers once again, Elena felt like she was losing oxygen from the way he tasted inside of her mouth, the way his tongue teased hers and all she wanted in the moment was more of him.

Every single one of her thoughts were jumbled, all of her words completely lost as she watched Stefan look up at her, moving a strand of her long brown hair behind her ears as he spoke in a soft tone. "Your my wife and we can do whatever we want. In here, in the car, the whole damn house for all I care. I love you, Katherine and I've missed you. But, if you want. We can always continue this later." Stefan told her, tracing his fingers over Elena's jaw line and hearing as she exhaled deeply, leaning her head back and trying to regain her composure.

This wasn't the time to be falling apart at the seams for a man that she barely knew and it certainly wasn't the time to tell Stefan that she wasn't Katherine. But, just looking at him. His bare skin and his perfect face staring back at her when he leaned into her again and began kissing her neck. Elena was close to slipping up as she started to say. "Stefan...I'm not-"

"You're not what? Liking this?" He asked her with a laugh, pausing and looking at her in wonder as Elena shook her head and cleared her throat to speak. But, her mind was all too consumed by the way Stefan's eyes lit up when she looked in his direction, his green eyes were set on fire as he locked them on her face.

"It's not that. I'm liking this very much, I just.." Elena's voice broke off as she watched Stefan pinch the bridge of his nose and turn away from her. Elena bit down on her lower lip nervously as she watched Stefan run his hands through his hair. He was now gazing up at her and without saying anything else in the moment. Elena wanted as he briskly pushed open the shower curtain. "I knew that this was a bad idea. Katherine, you just came home and I'm throwing myself at you. You need time..You need time to readjust to me, to all of this. Alright, I understand. I'm going to bed. So, come to sleep when you're ready." He commented in an agitated tone, taking a step out of the shower and attempting to close the curtain as Elena placed her hands onto her face and shut the water off in the shower that began to run cold. She could hear him making his way out of the room and she had to fix the mess she clearly made before she blew her cover as Katherine.

"Stefan! Wait, I love you! And, you're right, I do need time to adjust. But, not to you. I'm sorry that I've been so distant and spending all this time with Elijah." Elena said, pushing the curtain back and grabbing a white cotton towel from beside the shower. She wanted as Stefan pulled a shirt over his body and wrapped a towel around his waistline, pausing near the door to look back at her.

"It's just..." He began to say, glancing up to see Elena take a step out of the tub. Her wet hair dripping droplets of water onto her shoulders and down her back when she took a step towards him and placed her hand onto his shoulder.

"I know, you just feel as lost as I do sometimes. Because, readjusting to being us. Is different this time. But, I love you, Stefan and I'm ready to be with my husband...I'm never leaving you again, no matter what. I promise." Elena said in her most convincing tone. She wanted him to believe her words. But, a small part of Elena was starting to believe her own fabrications that were coming out of her mouth and it was making her feel a little sick. A part of her was slowly liking the attention that was given to her by the kind and decent man that Stefan Salvatore seemed to be. And, it was hard to deny that being around him as Katherine was starting to cloud her own judgment and cause her to want to tell him the truth. And as a result of it all, Elena couldn't help but notice that playing her role in this twisted game was starting to effect her in more ways than one. Because, Elena was starting to fall for a man that could never truly be hers and it was starting to show even if she didn't want it to.

* * *

"What the hell is she even doing back here? I seriously thought that they got rid of her for good!" Rebekah bellowed, closing the door to her and Damon's bedroom as he looked up from a magazine in his hands, smiling at how Rebekah seemed to be so agitated by Katherine's return.

"What happened?" Damon asked her, looking up to see Rebekah pace their bedroom floor, running her hands through her blonde hair and giving Damon a stern look in response to his question.

"She didn't even flinch! I threatened her and Katherine didn't even flinch at my words!" She commented with an irritated tone, rolling her eyes when she heard Damon let out a laugh.

"Rebekah, maybe she was actually scared of you. She's been through quite the ordeal. You seem to be over looking that." Damon commented, watching as his fiancé sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped off her shoes.

"No, Damon. It's something more than that. Katherine would have at least said something rude back to me. But, she just looked at me all terrified. She's hiding something and I'm going to keep pressing her about it until she snaps." She told him, hearing as Damon exhaled deeply.

"I don't think it would be a very good idea. She's just been through a lot. Believe me, she probably won't be the same old snarky and bitchy Katherine we all love to hate for a while." Damon told her, hearing when Rebekah scoffed and turned towards him with a serious expression on her face, determination in her blue eyes when she said. "You just watch me expose her for everything that she's done and for who she really is. The glamorous Princess that all of Chicago knows and loves, will fall and it won't be pretty once I start exposing the truth. Let's just say that Katherine Salvatore isn't such a golden girl as she makes so many people believe and this Saturday at the little gala that we'll all be attending, everyone is going to truly see her for the fraud that she is."

* * *

**A/N: Rebekah on a mission for the truth...Hm...Hopefully Elena will find out more about Katherine to stop Rebekah from exposing her just yet! ;) And what about that little SE almost smut scene...Oh, the tension between these two! :D**

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! ** _ _I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

**_-Until Next Time!-_ **


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation -Chapter Six**

It was Saturday already and Elena hadn't even picked out a dress yet. The week had been too busy with planning the venue with Caroline and finishing up her speech with Elijah that she had forgotten all about it.

But, it was something on her bed, a black box with a large red bow that made her stop in her tracks before she stepped inside the room. Then she saw him, sitting on the bed with hands to his sides, his hair a mess and the tie around his neck loosely hanging off his shoulders when he glanced up to see her surprised face.

"I was thinking about doing this a little differently. But, I figured that you've been so busy with all the planning for tonight and all the speech preparations that you probably wouldn't have had time to pick one out yourself. So, I had Caroline pick one out for you." Stefan explained, running his hands through his hair nervously when he heard Elena let out a small laugh, stepping further into the room and shaking her head, trying to disguise the tears that were threatening to slip from her eyes. Although, Elena was the only one who knew why she was really brought to tears. It was because no one in her life had ever done anything this nice for her, ever and just the simplest gesture made her feel like she was actually worth something more than what she had spent her whole life believing she was, a worthless girl that no one would ever love.

"Katherine, sweetheart. It's just a dress. Really, it isn't that big of a deal." Stefan remarked, glancing over as he watched Elena slowly undo the bow, her hands gliding across the black box before she opened it and gasped. It was beautiful and it must have cost him a fortunate. The yellow silk fabric and silver rhinestones just underneath the bust line, instantly made Elena love it. Although, it really did look like it cost him a pretty penny, Elena thought to herself when she looked over at Stefan who was softly running his warm hand up and down her right arm.

"I just thought that since tonight was all about you being back home. I thought I could do something special for you. Besides, you saved my life. However, I owe you a lot more than all these materialistic things. Katherine..." Stefan commented, his voice trailing off in a soft tone when he said her name, stopping the tracing of her skin with his fingertips, which caused Elena to look up at him.

"I saved your life? Stefan. You did that all on your own. Look, I know how much the drug addiction was hard for you and here you are. You're better because you put in the effort. It has nothing to do with me." Elena told him, trying to remember what Katherine had kept written in a journal she had found in Stefan's office. It had talked about how he was struggling, trying so hard to get past his addictions and yet, Katherine felt helpless in watching him destroy himself. But, she was also afraid that he was still using. However, that's where it stopped, the journal entry and as far as Elena knew at the moment. He wasn't using any longer or so she had thought.

"No, it has everything do with you..." He told her again, slowly getting up from his seat and watching as Elena placed her hands into the box, touching the silky yellow fabric under her fingertips, stopping abruptly when she felt Stefan's hands around her waistline, his mouth near her ear as he whispered. "You try that on after I leave here. I'm going early and meeting with Elijah and Damon. But, to be honest. I'm leaving because, it's going to be really hard for me to be on my best behavior and not rip it off you if I were to stay."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, letting out a nervous laugh and letting go of the fabric inside of the box and instead placing her hands where Stefan's were, resting against her hips. She smiled to herself, relaxing a bit in his arms. It was weird though, the feeling of wanting him and yet deep down knowing that he would never be hers. For Elena, Stefan Salvatore was her forbidden love and it was hard not telling him that she wasn't Katherine. But, that she was just a girl that looked exactly like her and that she was falling in love with him even if she tried to deny it. The tension and actions between them told a different story. Because, they always felt so much more than just a one sided feeling. It was as if he was trying to get under her skin too and make himself be all that she could think about.

"Stefan..you should go before I..." Elena said in a low voice, turning in his arms and placing her hands around his neck, playing around a bit with the tie that had fallen off his shoulders now and was in her hands.

"I should go. You're right. But, I don't want to. I want to stay here and do this to you.." He told her, leaning down and kissing her exposed flesh. Elena instantly leaned her head back, closing her eyes and breathing in a sharp intake of breath, inhaling the scent of him.

"Stefan, you should really go...We...I...We need to be on time tonight- I'm the guest of honor. It would look bad if I was late..." Elena tried to protest, feeling as Stefan's hot breath traveled up towards her lips and he pulled her closer to him, smirking a little.

"I guess you're right again. Okay, fine. Later tonight we'll continue this. Because, this is just the beginning." He told her with a smile, his voice laced with seduction as Elena watched him slip the tie out from her hands, leaning in to kissed her cheek softly when he added. "That dress won't be on you for very long once I get my hands on you tonight. So, you might as well enjoy it."

* * *

_It had been stress that drove him off into the depths of his mind and into the addiction to the drugs of his choice. The addiction that had spiraled, that he had struggled with since he was 18 years old. But, somehow it all came back to that night when she went missing, it all came back to haunt him and he picked up the drug in his hands once again, never thinking about all that it would do. How it would harm him and how if anyone found out that he was using again, they'd just throw him back into a treatment facility._

_Stefan quickly covered up the marks on his arms and walked back into the hallway, looking around to make sure that no one was watching him._

_"You could be more discreet about it all." She told him, pushing herself away from the wall and smirking at him._

_"How did you..No one's-" He began to say, watching as she moved across the small distance between them, closing the gap when she smirked and placed her hand onto Stefan's chest, exhaling deeply as she looked into his hazy green eyes._

_"Tell me, Stefan. Does it still give you the same rush that it did when we used to use together?" She asked him, her dark blue eyes shining with a bit of excitement as she leaned into him more and whispered in a seductive tone. "I know what you were doing. But, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Remember, Stefan. It's only part of our past. One that Damon doesn't even know about. I mean, unless you told him that you and I used to sleep together and used while on drunken binge?" Rebekah asked him, biting down on her lower lip and leaning in to capture his warm lips against her own. Rebekah smiled when she felt his hands slip into her hair and she moaned into his mouth._

_Stefan pulled her away from him, wiping away her red lipstick from the corner of his mouth, shaking his head. "You and I were never good together. That's why we can't start this up again. You're engaged to my brother and I'm with-" He started to say, watching Rebekah roll her eyes at him._

_"Oh yeah, that's right. You're with Katherine. Ha, stupid of me to forget. Did you ever tell her how you and I met? That I bumped into you at the same treatment facility? Did you ever tell Damon, that I was your first love?" Rebekah asked him, smiling with a mischievous grin on her face, turning around to leave._

_"No, I never told him that you and I knew each other before." He told her._

_"I wonder what your brother and wife would think if they knew that you and I were lovers?" Rebekah had asked him, smirking before she continued down the hallway, stopping for a moment to see Stefan lock his gaze on hers and just when he was about to tell her not to say anything, she pushed her blonde hair behind her ears and added. "Because, you and I will always know that before you were Katherine's. You were mine first."_

"She swept him away from me, right under my feet." Rebekah said in a sorrowful tone, sitting down on the couch with a glass of wine in her hands, watching the dark liquid swirl around in the glass as she exhaled and leaned her head back to look up at him, to see if he was paying attention to her at all.

"I heard you, Rebekah. But, isn't that all old news anyways? I mean, everyone in our family except for my soon to be brother in law and your soon to be husband know why you hate Katherine so much. She stole Stefan away from you, causing you to fall in love with Damon...Wait, do you even love him or is he just a second choice because you can't have who you really want?" Kol asked her, hearing when she let out a small and nervous laugh, shaking her head.

"Don't be ridiculous. I love him and tonight, I'll make that we have a great time at the Gala." Rebekah said quickly, gazing up at her brother who had gotten up to sit next to her, looking down at her face as he said in a flat tone. "Little sister, try to be more convincing when you tell me that you love your fiancé. Especially, try to be more convincing in front of him. Besides, in a few short months. You're going to be a Salvatore." He added, seeing Rebekah take the drink that was in her hands, placing the glass to her lips and nearly chugging back the wine in it when Kol brought up her soon to be reality. Whether or not she may have wanted Stefan in the past, she had her chance with him then. And, now she was going to be marrying his brother even if she wasn't that in love with Damon. Rebekah still wanted to be part of the family, so that she could have part of what they had, wealth and fame.

* * *

"The pink one or the blue one?" Sarah questioned him, watching as Klaus pulled his dark blue jacket over his shoulders and smiled at his daughter, hearing Caroline's high heels clicking against the wooden floor. A smile lingering on his face as he thought about how beautiful she was going to look tonight.

"Um...How about you-" He began to say, turning around to hear Caroline huff out a breath, adjusting the strap to her red dress and pulling it down a bit more so that it wasn't just above her knees.

"I can't find my ring." She muttered, lifting up a few pieces of paper on their coffee table and briefly looking up at her husband and daughter with a worried look.

"Your ring..Your wedding ring? I thought you never take it off?" He asked her, looking over at Caroline who now stood in their living room, a blank stare on her face, running her fingers through her blonde hair in frustration.

"I usually never do. But, I was washing the dishes today and-" She began to say, about to make her way into the kitchen when the both suddenly heard a small laugh escape out of Sarah's mouth.

"Sarah..Did you take your mother's ring off the counter while she was washing the dishes?" Klaus asked her in a serious tone, watching when their daughter narrowed her dark blue eyes at them both. A stray strand of blonde hair swaying back in forth when she rocked back on her heels and smiled a mischievous grin at her parents.

"Sweetie, how many times does mommy have to tell you to not take things that aren't yours?" Caroline asked Sarah, watching the little girl's face fall as she took the shiny silver wedding ring out of her pocket, handing it back to Klaus.

"Now, what do you say to your mom?" Klaus asked her, glancing over to see his daughter take a few steps in front of Caroline, tears filling her little eyes when she mumbled out. "I'm sorry, momma. It was just so pretty..I was playing dress up and-" Sarah began to say in a rambling tone, taking a step back out of Caroline's embrace and exhaling when she wiped away her falling tears.

"It's okay, sweetie. You just need to ask me before you take my things. Okay?" Caroline told her, watching as Sarah nodded, turning on her the soles of her feet and sniffling a little.

"The pink one." Klaus answered abruptly, causing Caroline to give him a confused look.

"What?" She asked him, gazing up to see her husband kneel down in front of his daughter with the pink dress that she had placed on their couch earlier.

"The pink dress, Sarah. I want my little princess to feel like one tonight. So, you should wear the pink dress because you and your momma will both look amazing and be my princesses." He told them with a wink, feeling as Caroline placed her hands onto his shoulder, both of them looking to Sarah who had the dress already in her hands, running into her room with a sudden gleeful smile upon her face. "Thank you, daddy." She uttered out before closing the door to her bedroom, going to change.

"You amaze me. You know that." Caroline told him, gazing down to see Klaus stand back up, standing in front of her with a smile on his face.

"And, you amaze me. You're an amazing mom to her and I love you." Klaus told her, pulling his wife into his arms, kissing her forehead.

"And, you are an amazing dad to her. A wonderful hard working man that I love so much. Thank you, Klaus. For this life that you've given us and being an amazing husband." Caroline commented, leaning towards him to kiss his lips softly, tightening her grip around Klaus's shoulders and deepening the kiss. But, just as they both pulled back from each other. They heard a loud groan come from the hallway. "Eww...Come on, let's go! I wanna show Uncle Stefan my princess dress!" Sarah commented with a giggle, hearing her parents let out a laugh, holding hands when they both nodded at her and followed their daughter towards the front door to their apartment.

* * *

The venue was filled with people that she didn't know and very few that she did. Caroline and Klaus sat at their table, near the stage and all Elena could feel was nervousness in the pit of her stomach when Caroline got up and headed towards the stage, smiling towards the crowd of reporters, friends and family that had all come to see one person and one person only, Katherine.

"Hi all. My name is Caroline Mikaelson and you all know me as Katherine's close friend. Well, I guess it was only appropriate that I gave Katherine a moment to collect her thoughts before she came up here and gave her speech. I want to thank you all for being here with us to celebrate the return of one of the most beloved and charitable women that our close circle of friends has ever seen. Anyways, without further adieu. I'm honored to reintroduce to you all, Katherine Salvatore." Caroline said with a firm tone, a smile on her face when she pointed to Elena and watched the brunette's overly curly hair bounce up and down as she slowly made her way towards the microphone.

Caroline quickly embraced her and softly whispered into her ear. "Be yourself and welcome back."

Be yourself? Elena thought. Who was that exactly that she was supposed to be? The sad and homeless girl that had been struggling for her next meal before Stefan had found her and brought her home with him. Or this person, this woman that caused her to barely recognize who she really was whenever she looked in the mirror and placed a piece of Katherine's expensive jewelry around her neck or even when she did simple things like sign papers with what she hoped looked exactly like Katherine's signature.

The lights in the room flashed from the pictures being taken of her as Elena took a deep breath, looking over the crowd filled with all the people that just a few weeks ago she had envied, had wanted so badly to be like. But, now as her shaking hands gripped onto the microphone and she leaned in to it. Elena Gilbert, could feel the blood in her body rush to her heart even quicker as she opened her mouth to speak and the first words out of her mouth was the name of the woman that she now saw in front of her own eyes, every time she looked in the mirror. Because, it was clear to Elena that who she used to be was gone, becoming rapidly replaced by the wealthy socialite that everyone believed she was.

"Katherine Salvatore, returns. Wow, it's truly a strange thing to hear myself say. But, here we all are. Here for me. I just wanted to thank you all for being here with me tonight. I especially wanted to thank Stefan, my adoring and loving husband for bringing me back home safely. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't found me..." Elena's voice trailed off, blowing a kiss in his direction as she saw Stefan smile at her, a smile that she had only seen a few times since she had been around him, one filled with pure love for, _her_.

"Anyways, I could go on and on about how much I love you all and how happy I am for finally being here. But, how about we all just enjoy the evening and each other's company instead." Elena added with a smile, watching as everyone clapped, smiling faces all around when she thanked them all once more for being there with her before walking off the stage and back to her table.

* * *

"That wasn't the whole speech, was it?" Klaus asked her with a laugh, glancing up to see Elena shake her head.

"No, I honestly forgot it. I guess, I just froze a bit. I'm sorry, Elijah." She said in an apologetic tone, leaning over to place her hand onto his and watching as he nodded at her. Elena's hand on her husband's, instantly caused Rose to get up from her seat and clear her throat. "How about we all dance?" She asked abruptly, looking around the table filled with Stefan, Caroline, Sarah, Klaus and Rebekah and Damon, everyone that Katherine was closest to.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. Shall we, Katherine?" Stefan asked her, extending out his hand towards her and licking his lips, moving his gaze up and down her body. Elena nodded, lacing their fingers together and following Stefan out on to the dance floor that was slowly filling with people.

"Ugh, she looks amazing. Of course she would, he gave her everything she's wearing." Rebekah complained, tightening her grip onto Damon's shoulders as they swayed back and forth, hearing when he let out a laugh.

"Are you jealous of Katherine? Oh come, she's got nothing on you. That green color of your dress makes you look beautiful. That yellow on Katherine makes her look like someone spilled mustard all over her dress." Damon commented with a laugh, feeling as Rebekah placed her head onto his shoulder and exhaled out an irritated breath, laughing a little at Damon's comment.

"You look beautiful, Rebekah. Remember that." Damon told her, gripping her close to him as he spun them around the dance floor, hearing when she let out a sigh and added. "Why are you so nice to me? What have I ever done to deserve a good guy like you."

* * *

She wasn't sure when the song had changed because all Elena seemed to be focused on was the dark haired woman that was standing near a man that she hadn't seen before. But, she figured that somehow he was someone that was close to Katherine since he had come all this way to be there for the event.

"Stefan, will you excuse me. I just need to go to the bathroom." Elena told him in a quickened tone, feeling the loss of his hands instantly when he smiled at her, leaning forward and placing a kiss onto her cheek as he nodded.

Elena could feel the man's eyes on her the whole time when she walked away from Stefan and as she made her way out of the venue and towards the restrooms. Her heart raced at the sudden sound of his voice stopping her dead in her tracks as he spoke to her directly. "I'll be damned, you look just like her."

"Excuse me?" Elena asked, turning around to see that he was the only one in the hallway as she turned back around towards the bathrooms again, trying to ignore the tall and dark haired man that was catching up to her, nearly cornering her now.

"Look, sir. I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Katherine and-" Elena began to say, hearing as the man let out a laugh, shaking his head at her.

"I don't think so sweetheart. How about we try that one more time. But, this time how about you tell me the way Katherine would say it. Add a little bit more fire into your words." He told her, his eyes gleaming at her with amusement as he watched the brunette place her hands onto the wall, closest to the bathrooms.

"I'm Katherine!" Elena told him, silently praying that no one was around to hear her nearly shout the words at his face.

"That's where you're wrong, Elena." He quickly correctly her, a grin forming on his face as he placed his hand onto her arm and secured his eyes on the frightened expression that was now on Elena's.

"How do you...Who are you!" She questioned him. Elena had moved just a little, leaning against the woman's bathroom door and opening the door just ajar as she watched him smile at her.

"My name is Alaric Saltzman and I know who kidnapped your sister." He remarked, glancing up to see Elena's brown eyes fill with even more confusion when she laughed, shaking her head.

"I don't have a sister. Look, I don't know who you are or what you want from me. But-" She tried to argue, feeling when he tightened his grip onto her arm and finally pushed her into the bathroom. She watched as he stood there. Blocking her way out and leaning against the door.

"Yes you do and this, proves it." Alaric commented, pulling out a white piece of folded up paper, handing it to Elena who was now hovering over the sink, trying to prevent herself from throwing up.

"Look at this and it will tell you everything you need to know. I've been tracking you for months now from a distance, trying to find you and then I heard of the miraculous return of Katherine Salvatore. I knew I had to came here tonight to investigate it, to see if it was true. You'd imagine my surprise when I saw you up on that stage tonight, posing as her. I mean, she's been missing for awhile now." Alaric explained, watching the brunette shake her head, finally gripping the paper that he had given her into her hands, unfolding it with shaking hands and reading it under her breath. "Katherine and Elena Gilbert. Twin baby girls. Born to mother: Isobel Fleming and father: John Gilbert at Ravenswood Hospital at 5:10 am on January 16th,1987." Elena said in a stunned tone, holding the paper into her sweaty palms and looking up at Alaric in amazement.

"How did you know that I wasn't her?" She uttered out, watching as he smiled at her, flipping open a small wallet like holder towards her face, flashing a silver police badge when he admitted. "Because, I'm a police officer, investigating the whole Salvatore family and their friends. And, like I said. I've been following you for months now. I'm stumped in trying to find Katherine and I've hit a road block. Well, until tonight that is. That's where you come in." He confessed, watching as Elena looked down at the floor, tears in her eyes as she exhaled deeply.

"I'm already messing up. It's hard being her..I'm not good at it." Elena told him, watching as he took a step towards her.

"Oh, You had me fooled. Elena, you'll be fine. You seemed pretty convincing up on that stage tonight. Look, you can do this. This has everything you need to know about Katherine, including her mannerisms, which will help you. But, Elena. I need to warn you." Alaric told her, handing her a black computer chip and watching as she placed it into her purse, looking at herself in the mirror before she glanced back towards him with a weary smile on her face.

"Don't trust anyone here. Including her husband." He told her, watching as the brunette opened her mouth to say something. But, Alaric quickly took a step out of the bathroom, opening the door and ready to leave.

"Wait, what am I supposed to do until I hear from you and how do I know I can even trust you?" Elena asked, following him out of the bathroom and back into the hallway.

"Because, I know a lot more about everyone here than you do. And, all you need to do is continue playing your convincing role of living as Katherine. Oh and one more thing. " Alaric paused, turning back towards Elena with a warning stare and a cautious tone in his voice when he added. " Just make sure that you don't fall in love with him. Her husband, that is. Because, he's not what he seems. Now, have a nice night, Mrs. Salvatore."

* * *

**A/N: Ohhh..And the plot thickens! ;) So, Elena finds out that she is Katherine's sister from a very unlikely source...Hm.. I wonder if Alaric has some secrets though as well..I mean..come on, the guy doesn't seem like he can be trusted either...or can he? And what about what he said about Stefan. Uh oh!**

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! ** _ _I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

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**_-Until Next Time!-_ **


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Seven**

_" Just make sure that you don't fall in love with him. Her husband, that is. Because, he's not what he seems. Now, have a nice night, Mrs. Salvatore."_ Those words rang in her ears, searing themselves inside of her brain as Elena leaned against the wall, closest to the bathrooms. She was ready to face them all again, after a few long and drawn out breathes. Elena Gilbert was surely ready to keep up the charade. Although, there were a few obstacles in her way and one of them was coming her way at the moment.

"Katherine, ah. There you are." Elijah told her, adjusting a button on his suit jacket as he walked closer to her, smiling with eagerness in his eyes.

"Elijah. I-" Elena began to say. She hadn't been expecting to see him, she hadn't been really wanting to see him. It was all because she was more focused on getting back to Stefan and finishing off their dance, making a few more public appearances with him and then calling it a night.

Yet, Elena suddenly felt herself being pushed back up against the wall by him, his hands lingering on the middle of her back as he pressed his moist lips against hers, silencing her thoughts. She didn't move, braced herself against the small space between the bathrooms and the hallway. The only thing that Elena was thankful for was that she couldn't be seen by anyone really and it was a good thing.

"I've missed you." He mumbled, running his hands through her curly hair, frowning a little when Elena looked away from him and towards the bathroom doors. She was shaking, her whole body was in shock at the sudden rush it felt around him. "Elijah, you should go back and be with your wife. I've missed you too. But, we shouldn't do anything here. Not while our spouses are in the other room." Elena said in a reasonable tone. She was trying really hard to reason with him. But, instead she heard him laugh, felt his hands travel to her thighs, lifting up the yellow fabric through the slit in her dress.

"I guess you're right. But, you can't stay away from me forever, Katherine. I love you." Elijah told her in a taunting tone, kissing her cheek and backing away from her with a smile on his face.

Elena stood there for a moment, inhaling a sharp intake of breath that stopped when she heard the conversation Elijah was having in the hallway with an all to familiar voice, that Elena knew all too well. "Hey, Elijah. Have you seen Katherine? I haven't seen her since she went to the bathroom, over 20 minutes ago." Stefan commented.

She closed her eyes tightly, exhaling a breath through her nose before she began walking, coming around the corner to be met with his worry filled eyes. For a brief moment, it was as if Elena could hear his breathing stop, the sound of his heart drop inside of his chest and just for a second. She swore that he wasn't seeing her as Katherine. "Wow, you look. Absolutely. Beautiful." Stefan said, brushing past Elijah, giving him a small pat on the back when he made his way towards Elena with a grin on his face, pulling her towards him.

"Are you feeling okay? You know, if you're not. We can just skip the rest of the night and go back home." Stefan offered, touching her cheek with his hand, softly pushing a strand of her curly hair behind her ears.

"No. It's fine. I'm just fine. I've missed you though." She told him, her brown eyes locking on to his. The words, her words. They didn't feel so forced anymore. Yeah, it hadn't been that long since she had embedded her way into the lives. But, there was something that Elena felt between her and Stefan from the start of it all and it certainly wasn't because she was pretending to be Katherine.

Elena moved her hands so that they were around his neck, molding her body to his more, a smile on her face when Stefan looked down at her dress, licking his lips. That same look of desire and hunger from earlier in the day filled his eyes when he looked up at her face, leaning in to her and kissing her lips softly. Elena could feel her heart racing, her trembling hands wrapping herself closer to him as she pulled away from him for a moment. Securing her gaze onto his face for a second, neither of them saying a word.

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Part of her didn't want to act on the impulsions that he bought out in her. However, she couldn't deny it anymore, the way he was making her feel, the feeling of just wanting to be closer to him, the needing of being closer to him was taking over and it was becoming too much to handle. It was becoming all she could think about whenever she was near him and all of it was about to come to a turning point that she couldn't have even imagined.

"Come with me..." Stefan said in a voice that was just above a whisper, his lips touching her ear as he leaned down and kissed her neck. Elena could feel her body tense, her breathing becoming staggered. She barely could manage a response to his words and finally when she mumbled a quick "Okay." She knew that he could feel it too. The tension between them was building and it was all about to come to the surface, all with just a few simple words from off of Stefan's lips. _Come with me..._

* * *

"You look amazing tonight, princess. Doesn't she?" Klaus asked, Caroline leaning his head towards his daughter, hearing when she giggled, watching as Sarah snuggled up between Damon and her father, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her small hands.

"She does. The pink dress was a perfect choice." Caroline commented with a smile, leaning forward towards her husband and placing her hand onto his knees, for a moment getting lost in her own thoughts.

"Klaus..." Caroline began to say, taking a moment to collect her thoughts as she looked back up at them, contently sitting next to each other.

"Yes, love? What is it, Caroline?" Klaus asked her, confusion in his glance when he watched his wife lean back into her seat, eyes closed with what looked like tears suddenly threatening to spill over.

It wasn't the right place. Now, wasn't the time to tell him what she had been keeping from him for as long as she could remember. It just wasn't the time or place. But, that wasn't what was bringing the blonde to near tears. It was the memories in the way he said her name, in the way he looked at her that caused Caroline's mind to wander back to a time when things weren't that easy for them. A time when Caroline had made the one mistake in her life that she would never forgive herself for, that would change their lives forever..Once he found out the truth...

_"I didn't know where else to go." Caroline said, pushing open the door to her ex-boyfriend, Alex Walsh's apartment as he stood there, stunned at the way she looked, still beautiful as always. Yet, there was a sadness in her eyes and his own dark blue eyes could see it, clearly._

_He smiled at her sweetly, taking a step back as he watched Caroline's blood shot and puffy looking eyes staring back at him._

_"Caroline. What are you even doing here? Don't you have a boyfriend, that you dumped me for?" Alex asked her, placing his hand on the now closed door as she sat on his couch, starting to cry._

_"I don't know what I'm doing here, Alex! I know that we broke up because I started seeing Klaus and I'm sorry. But, we got into a fight tonight and I just can't go back home. I just...I thought that-" Caroline mumbled out, hearing Alex let out a loud exhale. She watched as he ran his hands through his blond hair in frustration._

_"You shouldn't be here, Caroline. It isn't a good idea." He warned her, watching as she nodded, glancing up to see him sit down next to her. Alex stayed silent as Caroline rested her head on to his shoulder, sighing out a breath before she spoke with a shaky tone. "Let me stay, just one night. I promise, I'll go home in the morning...Please Alex, just let me stay with you tonight."_

The memory of that night quickly faded, reducing her to tears as she looked up to see Klaus gently lean a sleeping and exhausted looking Sarah onto Damon's shoulder.

"What is it, Caroline. You can tell me anything. What's wrong?" Klaus urged her on, pleading with her to explain why she was acting so distance.

Caroline inhaled deeply, placing her hands into her lap as she felt the tears that she had tried to keep a bay, cascade even further down her face when she confessed. "I cheated on you..It was a long time ago, when we weren't on good terms. I cheated on you and..." Caroline's voice trailed off, getting up from the seat she was sitting in and briskly trying to get away from under Klaus's heartbroken glance.

"Caroline, wait!" He said, running after her, looking back at his wife as he tried to process what she was saying to him.

"What the hell do you mean, you cheated on me! With who..?" Klaus asked her in a demanding tone, his voice breaking a bit when he watched her inhale through gritted teeth, turning away from him and looking back at their daughter when she confessed in a detached tone. "I cheated on you with my ex-boyfriend. It was years ago, Klaus! It was only one night and it was-"

"How long ago was it!" Klaus said in an agitated tone, his eyes filled with hurt as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, staring at her intently when he heard her say. "It was six years ago and it was only one night!"

* * *

Stefan loosened his grip from her hand and pushed the door open wider to a small private room, pulling Elena inside of the room with him. Elena could feel her eyes adjust to the light, her body being turning around towards him in confusion when she noticed that they were standing in the middle of a bathroom.

"Stefan...Really what-" Elena began to say, but her thoughts were all quickly interrupted by his hands moving against her shoulder. She could hear her own breathing stop as his fingertips grazed her skin, gliding down against her bare back.

"I thought we could be alone here." Stefan whispered against her skin, leaving a moist kiss on her flesh, glancing up when Elena let out a small laugh, taking a step back from him, taking in the hazy gaze in his eyes as she turned to him. He looked tired, he looked saddened when she stepped away from him though and his loss of contact.

"In a bathroom?" Elena asked, letting out a laugh again, taking a step towards him once more as she watched his eyes lit up when she took her hands, placing them onto his face and bringing his chin up with her fingertips. Their eyes meeting with an intense glance.

"Yeah, well, it's private." Stefan mumbled in a low raspy voice, his hands coming to rest on Elena's hips, pulling her towards him as their faces became closer, their eyes feeling almost as if they were looking into each other's souls. It was strange, the feeling she felt when she was with him. Safe and protected, it was like nothing Elena had ever felt before and for the first time in her life, she could feel herself getting caught up in the game of love, in the desire and fantasy to be with someone like him.

"Stefan. Maybe we shouldn't.." Elena could hear herself start to reply sweetly, her voice laced with a truth. Because, it was just that..She couldn't get emotionally and physically involved with him. It would cost too much, it would all end up with someone getting hurt and she didn't want that. And then there was the words that Alaric had told her that she was still trying to process, that he couldn't be trusted. It scared her. The truth. And, she didn't want to be falling in love with him. But, it was hard not to. It was hard not to love him when he was simply charming and everything that Elena wanted.

"We can just take things slow." He murmured into her ear, leaving a kiss on her neck, his hands starting to unzip the back of Elena's dress and within the moment, she felt as if she couldn't speak any longer. She couldn't move and she certainly was fighting with herself. To stop him or not?

She could her hear own breathing become heavier, a lot more harder to breath as his hands grazed against her warm skin, gliding upon her back and slowly lifting the straps to her dress down, all the while leaving a sweet kiss on her shoulder blade. Elena turned around towards him, she couldn't take it any longer, the tension building with every touch, every brush onto her skin from him was enticing, intoxicating even. It must have happened all too fast, all too willingly because before she knew it, her hands were around his neck, pulling off the already loosened black tie from his suit, her eyes filling with eagerness and want. She wanted him, Elena Gilbert wanted him more than she was willing to admit and watching him look at her with his eyes full of love for someone that she wasn't hurt a little. Although, she wasn't allowing it to show how much.

However, she silently figured that it would be her only chance to the closest she would ever get to be with him, to fill the void in her own heart, the darkness of her past becoming consumed and burning out by his kisses, his every touch on her body.

"Okay." Elena heard her hoarse voice say, it was barely even audible to her own ears. But, she knew that he could hear it. She watched him without having anymore to say. Stefan's hands once again slowly removing the yellow dress that he had bought her, relishing in her reaction to his hands upon her already overheated skin. Elena stood there for a moment, her own shaking and sweat filled palms lifting up his face to hers as she locked her gaze upon him, their lips just inches apart when she secured her eyes on him and leaned forward, capturing her red lipstick covered lips to his warm and moist mouth, the sweet taste of what she knew was reminisce of gum in his mouth as she kissed him, hearing the sound of his suit jacket being slipped off his own shoulders. Elena could feel the sudden loss of contact from his hands as the jacket dropped to the tilted floor with a light thump.

* * *

He could feel her hands trembling as they fell to the waistband of his pants, the loud sound of his belt being undo was heard as Elena inhaled deeply, pushing him against a wall in the small bathroom, licking her lips when Stefan looked at her, a smiling lingering on his face.

"What's so funny?" Elena asked him in a hurried, breathy tone. Her hands stopping their movements as she laughed along with him, watching Stefan shake his head, his hands softly running up and down her arms.

"I thought we were going to take this slow." He commented, watching Elena tilt her head to the side, taking a step back as she lifted her hands off of him and turned away. "Fine. You want to do this slow..Let's do this slow then." She said, lifting up her dress half way to expose her legs. Elena's eyes lightened with a small hint of joy when Stefan took a step towards her, his hands once again moving her hair back behind her shoulders, arching his body towards her, his lips kissing her collar bone, his arms moving them towards the counter in the room, with a sink and mirror that somehow managed to make the bathroom look a little more elegant.

Elena could feel her heart want to explode, beating so fast that she could hear it inside of her ears, pounding in her head when Stefan hoisted her up onto the counter, grinning to himself as he watched her lean her head back, resting it against the mirror and feeling the coolness of it on her neck.

"Stefan..." Elena said, her voice cracking and trailing off when she felt warm and hot hands on her thighs, taking a step closer to her as she wrapped her legs around his waistline, pulling him towards her.

"Mhmm.." Stefan said, making a low almost growling noise come out of his mouth as he kissed her neck, his other hand slowly caressing the other side of her face. A mischievous grin was on his face, directed at her, his green eyes trying to almost mesmerize her, the way she was now. Her head leaning back against the medium sized mirror in the bathroom, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her high heels slipped off somewhere near the door. Which allowed her bare feet to be anchored against the middle of his back as she pulled him towards her with her hands, opening her eyes to look at him. Elena smiled a little, trying to rid herself of the nervousness she suddenly felt under his intensified and unsatisfied gaze.

It was almost like she couldn't recognized herself, in the person she was in front him. Full of greed, needing the touch of him against her to survive, to keep her anchored to a small part of herself that she saw in him- the sweetness, gentle person that she once was, years before Matt ever came into her life and ruined it all. The beating of her heart seemed to slow, her trembling hands calmed too when she felt Stefan hands glide against her thighs, bunching up the fabric of her yellow dress, just a little bit past her underwear. "Is this slow enough?" Stefan asked in a teasing tone, watching Elena's brown lust filled eyes flutter open, biting down on her lower lip when she pulled him towards her by the collar of his shirt again, undoing the buttons to his shirt one by one as she glanced up at him briefly, leaning towards him once more. She could feel his breath on her lips, his eyes feeling like they were reading her own mind when she nodded, whispering in a soft barely there raw tone. "I've waited my whole life for someone like you."

"Katherine...Aren't you sweet." Stefan said, gripping her thighs tighter, pulling her to him, their bodies molding together, becoming one as he shook his head, smiling. Elena swallowed down the nervous anxiety that she had been feeling earlier, as she hastily continued to work on the last few buttons to his shirt.

Suddenly she felt his hands on top of hers though, stopping her movements as he said. "I want to make love to you, savor every inch of your body against mine and taste how sweet you are, I've really missed you, Katherine." He told her, stopping Elena's movements when he placed both of her hands onto his shoulders, leaning into her for a moment before crashing his lips against hers, a rough kiss that made Elena weak in the knees, her blood rush throughout every vessel in her body and all she could think about was how much she wanted Stefan...all of him. Even if it meant telling him who she really was and risking it all, just for love. Elena didn't care, because it was all or nothing now and she wanted him all for herself and not pretending to be someone she wasn't anymore. She was going to tell him, it was on the tip of her tongue when he backed away from her, allowing them both to catch their breath. However, something stopped her from ruining the moment. And, she really didn't want to ruin it. Although, maybe it was the feeling of his soft touch, the allure of his scent swirling around her head that made Elena think irrationally. That made her silently wish that he was hers and not Katherine's as she pulled him closer and kissed him passionately, relishing in the taste of him upon her lips. She could hear herself let out a moan as his hands began to roam over her body again and all Elena thought was even if he wasn't hers right now..At least for one night, she could have him all to herself.

* * *

**A/N: Oh the tension and drama! So, I completely feel bad for Klaus in this chapter..I mean...Caroline cheated on Klaus. Oh and with her ex boyfriend too..ugh! It's going to be interesting to see how more of Caroline's "truths come out and what about Klaus...does he have any secrets of his own? Last but not least...Stefan and Elena...I really don't know what to say about those two..All I know is that I could feel the tension build between them..Oh and she needs to tell him that she isn't Katherine..like SOON! ;)**

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! ** _ _I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

**_-Until Next Time!-_ **

 


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Eight**

"Is she mine?" Klaus asked Caroline, gripping on to her arm, watching tears stream down his wife's cheeks.

"Please, Klaus. Let go of me..Please. I'm sorry!" Caroline said in a broken tone, the air in her lungs feeling as if it had all been knocked out from her as she locked her tearful gaze on her husband who looked rightfully hurt and angered by her confession.

"I'm not letting you go and I'm not leaving here until you tell me if that blonde little girl sitting over there by Damon is my daughter! Tell me, Caroline and for once in your life be honest!" Klaus shouted at her, his short nails digging into her skin a bit more as he suddenly let go, his darkened expression falling when the unshed tears began to fill his eyes.

"That little girl that I've raised since she was a baby. I'm her father, Caroline. I've been there for every single thing that she's done. You know Sarah's first words were 'daddy' and they were spoken to me! Not someone else you had a one night stand with! So, whatever you have to tell me, will hurt. But, it won't change the fact that she's a part of me and I would die for her. She's my daughter, Caroline either way. So, tell me...Am I right. Is Sarah mine, is she my little girl?" Klaus asked her, gazing over at his wife to see her wipe away her falling tears.

Caroline sniffled back her sobs, exhaling a shaky breath when she finally looked up at Klaus, her glance intensely locking upon him as she uttered out. "I don't know if she's your daughter."

* * *

Her voice couldn't be found. But, somehow while grinding her teeth together, Elena whispered his name in a pleasurable tone. All consuming was the feeling of his hands against her heated flesh, the once curly hair on her forehead, was now dampened from sweat. Her hands gripping to anything she could hold, anything she could latch herself onto, never wanting to let go of him. Elena wrapped herself close to Stefan, her legs tightening around his waistline, causing him to greedingly pull her towards him. She tilted her head back, exhaling deeply and feeling as he bent down towards her legs, leaving chaste kisses upon her thighs as he achingly move up to the waistband on her panties and began to remove her underwear with his teeth.

"Stefan-" Elena whimpered out, it was a mixture of a moan and sigh when she heard him laugh a little, backing away from her to look up at her face. Her eyes closed, head leaned back, her hands weren't gripping him any longer. They were now holding on to the edge of the marbled bathroom countertop that he had placed her on.

"I love hearing my name leave your lips. It's sexy, the way you say it all seriously and in an almost begging way. But, really we both know that your cracking at the seams." He told her, placing her hands above her head. Elena's eyes fluttered opened as she smiled, leaning into him and kissing his lips once more, biting down with her teeth and pulling his lower lip into her mouth as she heard him exhale.

"No, I'm not cracking. I'm just begging you to continue" She countered, kissing him before he could protest, her seemingly calm hands working on the zipper to his black neatly pressed suit pants, undoing the button to them finally as she smiled to herself a bit, thankful that the belt had already been taken off.

"Stefan..." Elena said his name again, leaning towards his ear when she whispered his name this time, feeling his body tense when her hands felt his on top of hers.

"Let me help you with that..you seem to be a little nervous." He commented with a smile. All Elena could feel next was his hands on her hips, his lips on her skin, leaving a trail of moistened kisses on nearly every inch of her body. She wanted to say something, tell him that she wasn't his wife. But, it all stopped. All of her thoughts were blank when she felt the intimacy between them spill over and all she could stammer out from the back of her throat was a moaning sound, one that echoed throughout the bathroom and made her feel a little embarrassed.

"Katherine, how did I get so lucky with such a beautiful woman by my side? You're the love of my life. God, I have missed you. Don't ever leave me again." Stefan told her in a husky voice, his own vocal cords seeming to diminish as he breathlessly spoke to her.

Elena tried to say something back, anything at all. But she was too focused on the way their bodies were, falling apart and coming together with such rhythmic motion, so synched together that she couldn't remember the last time that she felt like this with anyone. The way his hands gripped her, the words he spoke to her made her heart race so fast that she was sure she could die in his arms. Suddenly, with one loud thump on the bathroom door. Elena felt the warmth of his arms leave her, staring up at her with wonder and then back at the door as they both stopped. Her legs still wrapped around him, his hands placed to the side of her body. She leaned her chin onto his shoulder as they heard another knock and then a drunken voice speak with annoyed tone. "Hurry the hell up in there. I need to get in there, I'm going to puke!"

* * *

Elena tried hard to stifle her laugh. But, it came out louder than she wanted it to as she watched Stefan glance up at her, his green eyes smiling with hers as he shook his head, leaning her back against the mirror and kissing her exposed shoulder once more. "I guess this was a bad idea." Stefan whispered.

Elena looked down at his hands, the way the muscles in his arms flexed as he leaned towards her. She licked her lips as she placed her hand onto his bare chest, slowly moving it down his stomach as she nodded when she added in a seductive tone. "Oh, it wasn't that bad. I guess that's our cue to behave again and to find someplace else to go. Plus, I'm nowhere near done with you yet."

Stefan moved away from her, lifting his pants back up and zipping them as he looking around the room. He laughed a little at the sight. The room was filled with some of their clothing, which was scattered all over the place, the only thing intact was the dress that Elena was wearing, the yellow and silk fabric crumpled as she slide off the sink counter top and stood back up on her two feet, looking around for her discarded black underwear. "You want to continue this? Katherine, there are people out there that are all here for you...You want to just leave them all here and go someplace with me?" Stefan asked her. Elena could hear the small scene of surprise in his voice, he seemed shocked almost.

"I thought you were all about public appearances?" Stefan asked, handing her the black laced underwear that she had on earlier. Elena's face became flushed, her eyes narrowing down at his chest as she let out a nervous laugh. She knew that Katherine was all about publicity and from reading what she had written in the journal she had left behind, that's what had made her so popular. But, it also made sense as to why Stefan worked so much, because she had been clearly neglecting their relationship.

"Why do you work so much?" She asked him suddenly, lifting up her dress and putting her underwear back on. Stefan didn't look at her, instead looked down at the tiled floor, running his hands through his hair.

"Because I have to. I don't have a choice and besides, don't act like you don't like the money that I bring home. Some days, I feel like you love me just for the money I have. Or that you love the money more!" Stefan told her, spitting out his words with an angered tone.

Elena didn't know what to say, she just listened to his words, allowing them to sink it. From everything that she read in Katherine's journal, it had seemed as if Katherine and Stefan were inseparable and the perfect couple. However, in the moment it was clear to her that this wasn't the case at all, there was a lot more to the story and she couldn't wait to find out more of what he had to say about it.

"I'm sorry that I was like that in the past. Stefan, I want things to change for us, I'm trying to change. Do you hear me? I want us to be better together and from now on. Let's work on our marriage. I don't care about all of those people out there! I care about you, only you." Elena said with confidence. There was some truth in her sentence, because Elena was starting to care about him and if getting away from the venue and as far away from prying eyes as they could. Elena knew that if she could be alone with him just for a while, she'd be able to see him for who she could tell he was and not what everyone seemed to tell her- a liar, a struggling drug addict and a powerful man that only cared about money and not his wife.

"You really want to work on us? No more lies and making me feel like I'm worthless when I screw up. Katherine, I need you to promise me that this time. You'll be by my side if anything happens, if anything at all happens and I accidently, slip up on my sobriety. Will you be there for me?" Stefan asked her as he moved towards her, his hand resting on Elena's shoulder as she inhaled sharply and turned to face him. She wasn't sure what he was talking about when he said _'if anything happened.'_ . Although, she knew that within time, she'd find out.

"Yes..Stefan, I promise. You're not worthless to me, you're an amazing person and I'm sorry for making you feel that way. Let's start over. No more lies." Elena said, locking her eyes on to his own as he nodded, pulling her to him and embracing her tightly as she felt him kiss the top of her head.

"Let's get out of here." Stefan said, sliding his hand against Elena's arm, causing a shudder throughout her body as she smiled at him, picking up his suit jacket off the floor and glancing over to see that Stefan had laced their fingers together tightly, Katherine's wedding ring shining against her hand, causing Elena briefly to think about what it would be like for them, if she told him the truth. Would he believe her or would he want nothing at all to do with her and want Katherine back instead. Since everything between them on Elena's part so far was a lie.

* * *

"Where are we going? " Elena asked as she watched him push a door open that lead to a stairwell.

"I have just the place in mind, a nice little place in the heart of the city. But, first we'll have to pay off the limo driver. Good thing he knows us well." Stefan smirked, hearing Elena let out a laugh.

" I haven't been to the city in awhile. Wait, you pay off the limo driver to leave the car while we're together?" She asked in confusion, gazing over at Stefan when he nodded, holding out his hand when he reached the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her to take it.

"Yeah, I always do when I want some alone time with you. I mean, the poor guy doesn't even ask any questions, he just leaves or drives around for a while with his head phones blaring. Also, you just said it yourself..." Stefan's voice trailed off, feeling Elena's hand grasp onto his tighter when she stepped in front of him. He could hear her breathing become a little deeper just as he leaned his face to her ear, feeling the heat radiating off of her skin as he reiterated her own words back at her in an inviting tone. "I'm nowhere near done with you yet."

* * *

He noticed her hands fidgeting, her eyes looking out the window as the partition went up in the limo, blocking out the driver's view of them. Stefan moved closer to her, leaning his head against her shoulder, causing Elena to gasp.

" I have a feeling that you'll like this place." Stefan told her, his fingertips caressing her legs, slowly lifting up the slit to her dress.

"I can't wait to be all alone with you." Stefan whispered, letting out a chuckle when he added "Without any interruptions." against her ear, kissing the curve to her neck.

Elena glanced down at where his hand was, his fingertips gliding up and down her skin gently when she turned to look at him, her mind racing with so many thoughts that she felt as if her head was going to explode. But, there was one thing that she tried so hard not to think about and yet, it consumed her mind. It was the way his touch was causing her to not be able to contain herself any longer and because of it, she was about to make her first move.

She inhaled through gritted teeth suddenly, pushing Stefan away from her a bit as she took a deep breath before she spoke in a provocative tone. "Who said we had to wait to be alone. I don't see the driver looking back here. Which is a good thing because he won't be able to see this."

"See what?" Stefan questioned with a smug smile on his face as he watched Elena climb into his lap, her legs straddling his waistline when she leaned down against him and touched his groin, a smile lingering on her lips as Stefan placed his head back further onto the seat and closed his eyes, exhaling when he spoke with a breathy tone. "Katherine..What are you doing?"

"I'm keeping my promise. I want to fix my mistakes with you, all of them. One by one. Now, where were you? Oh, yeah. I specifically remember you doing this to me." Elena said, her brown eyes glistening with desire, as her hands stared to unbuckle his pants once again. She could feel him pull her near, his grip firmly placed against the bare skin of her hips as she leaned into him, leaving a searing kiss upon his lips, quickly unbuttoning his pants and smiling to herself as Stefan groaned out in pleasure.

"Katherine..We're almost to the hotel..about 20 minutes or so longer." Stefan stammered breathlessly, although his hands were working on slipping off her undergarments once again, his lips leaving tantalizing kisses against her collar bone and yet, he was trying really hard not to give into her advances, which he was failing miserably at.

"Hm..Good, that's just enough time." Elena smirked, feeling as his hands began to lower down her panties again and Elena leaned her head back, her arms firmly griped around his neck when Stefan adjusted them so that she was sitting on his lap more, their bodies becoming one.

"What about the driver?" Elena heard herself question. She got a bit red in the cheeks when she felt Stefan push back a strand of her hair, kissing her overheated flesh as he whispered. "You're lucky he's got his head phones on like usual and that he really won't be able to hear much because I made sure this little area was sound proof. Don't worry honey, he won't be able to hear you. Since, I'm about to keep my promise too..." He told her.

"What promise?" Elena asked in a light tone, suddenly feeling dizzy when she felt him touch her thighs again, his hands moving upward.

" That your dress wouldn't stay on you for very long. I hope you've enjoyed it, sweetheart. Although, it looks like you're enjoying watching me take it off of you, a lot more." Stefan said with a grin, watching Elena come towards him again, her eyes locked onto his as she nodded and whimpered out his name. "Stefan."

She could see him smirking when she opened her eyes briefly and watched him ran his hands through her hair, his own heart picking up speed as Elena ground her hips against his and then she could hear him clear his throat when he spoke in a sudden lust filled tone. "Are you enjoying this yet, Katherine?"

Elena nodded, pulling him closer without saying a word. Her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head as she placed her chin onto his shoulder and cried out. "Stefan, don't take your hands off me."

Stefan laughed, tightening his hold of her against his body when he leaned near her ear again, pinching her ear lobe with his teeth and sucking on it with his lips just a bit before he replied softly. "I wasn't planning on it any time soon."

* * *

**A/N: Are you guys all still breathing!? I hope I haven't lost any readers because of this chapter! ;)**

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! ** _ _I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

**_-Until Next Time!-_ **


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Nine**

_"Tell me you love me." She whispered against his ear, watching him turn his face towards her, his lips curling into a slight smile._

_"Katherine, I love you..Only you." Elijah said, wrapping her into his embrace, watching the strings on her robe loosen as she turned her legs towards him, her arms wrapped around his neck when she buried her face into the curve of it, kissing the soft skin._

_"I'm going to leave him, Elijah. Stefan and I...We're- We're not what we used to be and it's time I end it. I hate acting like I love him. When, deep down I know the truth..I don't. I haven't loved my husband for awhile." Katherine commented, watching Elijah shake his head, like he was the one that was unsure of her decision._

_"Katherine...it's not the time yet. You know that." Elijah told her, watching Katherine scrunch her nose at him, a displeased look falling onto her darkened features._

_"Then, when is? when I'm pregnant with my first child and in a loveless marriage? Will that be the time that you come in and swoop me off my feet? It's our time, Elijah. It's now or never. I'm going to a lawyer in a few days and then I'm telling him about the affair. You should do the same with Rose, before the press get's a hold of this..all of it." Katherine advised him, running her finger tips through his thick dark brown hair as she leaned in and kissed his lips. Elijah held her closer, his hands running up and down her legs as she giggled._

_"I will, I promise. In a few short days, everyone will know the truth.." He told her, his hands slowly working their way down Katherine's body as she let out a laugh and locked her eyes onto him. "I love you, Katherine. Only you." Elijah replied, leaving a sweet kiss on her lips._

His words of that night, two days before Katherine disappeared were just memories now, her words sending him into a tailspin of emotions. He wished that he didn't have to go behind his best friend's back, sleeping with his wife and causing a yet to be discovered rift between them. Although, Elijah knew that once Stefan found out about the things he was doing with Katherine and to his own wife behind his back, there would be hell to pay and most likely, their friendship would be over. However, he struggled with it internally, telling Stefan- his best friend since college, the truth.

* * *

"Come on." He told her, extending out his hand as he held it tightly, leading them down the now empty corridor of the hotel where he had reserved them a room.

"Stefan..What are we doing here?" Elena asked him, confusion on her face as they walked through the hallway to the hotel suite, watching him let go of her hand as he smiled and opened the door.

"You know how I said we could be alone? Well, this is it. Katherine, I've been planning this for a few days now and I wanted it to be special, your home coming. So, come on." He told her, opening the hotel door wide open and hearing Elena let out a small gasp. It was amazing, the room that had candles in almost every corner of the room, red and white flower petals on the floor and when she looked closely, she could see that there was a bottle of champagne being iced in a small bucket near the small mini bar. He truly did love her, she thought.

"Stefan...you did all of this? When did you have time to do all of this?" She asked with a laugh, taking a step further into the room. Elena noticed that the king sized bed with it's perfectly white crisp covers, looked out towards a balcony that overlooked the city that she loved so much. The city that Elena had once begged on the streets, a life that she had realized that she never wanted to be in again until she had gotten a glimpse of what her life could be like, in the eyes of another.

"I had some help picking out your dress for tonight and then I swung by here to make reservations. I did this all for you. Katherine, I love you and I've been so lost without you here. I guess, I wanted tonight to be special, to be our night... together." He told her, closing the door behind him and locking it as he turned back towards Elena, shrugging off his jacket and smiling at her.

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, the truth on the tip of her tongue as she watched him take a step towards her, his warm and soft hands slipping off the shoulder strap of her yellow dress yet again.

"Stefan..Shouldn't we get back to the party? I mean, don't you think they'll wonder where we are?" Elena asked, her breathing picking up as she leaned her back towards the bed, feeling his hot breath on her skin, his lips leaving moistened kisses against her shoulder as he suddenly turned them around, pushing Elena back on to the bed, her eyes widening with every move he made towards her, his green eyes filled with lust, with a hunger that was insatiable.

Elena breathed in a sharp breath as she watched Stefan lift up her foot into his hands, his fingers tracing outlines on her skin, every so often leaving a kiss where his hand had been. He stopped though, examining her ankle and noticing the small dark ink just above her foot. She could feel him, leaning down to kiss her skin again when he looked up at her. Her jaw locked, eyes closed, leaning her head back on to the comforter in the room. Elena let out a nervous laugh, opening her eyes to see him stopping, tracing his hand against her leg.

"When did you get this?" He pointed out, looking down at her in confusion, both of his hands still holding her foot as he gave her a confused look.

"I thought you weren't that big into tattoo's Katherine? Didn't you say once that you'd never do it." He commented, letting go of her foot and sitting on the edge of the bed, his back turned towards her, his face lowered as he focused down on his shiny black dress shoes, a small smile on forming across his lips when he turned back to her, watching Elena get up from the bed, sitting on her feet as she crawled over to him, resting her hand on to his shoulder.

"I got it a long time ago. I guess you just never noticed. It's just a little heart. It's not that big of a deal." She countered, hearing Stefan let out a laugh, turning to face her again, his hands stroking the out lining of her face.

" Ha, I guess, I'm just surprised that you have one. It's cute though. Sometimes I forget how much we've all changed since you've been gone. But, I just...I feel like you and I have the most that's why I wanted us here tonight, not with all those people. Katherine, I'm leaving for a few weeks to Europe for a business trip and I wish more than anything that I could take you with me. However, we both know that I can't. So, I was hoping that tonight could make up for how much I'm going to miss you when I'm gone." He told her, watching her eyes narrow on him, a grin creeping on to her face.

Elena was relieved that he hadn't made a big deal out of her tattoo. The true story behind it was that it was part of her spiraling rebellion against her foster parents before they had kicked her out of the house and a few months before she had aged out of the foster care system. She could see it though, the suspicion in his green eyes about her, like he was noticing the differences that she had tried too hard to keep under wraps. Although, somewhere in her heart, she'd known all along how wrong this was, how taking over her sister's life was about to all come to a full circle when and if Katherine was ever found and how Elena would have to give him up, the one person in this world full of riches, full of secrets that she felt the closest too. The one person, she loved.

"I love you." She said, locking her eyes on to him and mumbling out the words under her breath, watching Stefan look up at her, his eyes intensely boring into what she felt was her own heart. Stefan sat up, out stretching his hands towards her as he watched Elena nervously take a hold of them.

"I want to show you something." He told her. Elena followed him out to the balcony of the hotel room, the night lights of the city shining brightly.

"Stefan, this is beautiful." She told him, feeling his hand pull her towards him, leaning in to kiss the top of her head as he smiled, holding her in his arms and watching the city move at what seemed like a quickened speed below them, memorized by how fast everyone was so hurried down below.

"Yeah. It is. They're all moving so fast though, not enjoying life." He told her, watching Elena lift her head up off of his shoulder as she looked up at him, yawning.

"I like taking things slow. I like enjoying beautiful things." He whispered softly, turning Elena in his arms to face him, seeing her try to open her mouth to speak. But, she was quickly stopped by the warm feeling of his hands on her face, his lips just inches away from her own.

"What kind of beautiful things?" Elena stammered out of her throat, locking her eyes on to him as she too leaned forward, licking her lips.

" It's simple really. Beautiful things, like you." He told her, running his hands through Elena's now slightly flattened hair as he captured her lips against his own, savoring the taste of her tongue against his, a prideful grin when he backed away to look at her, noticing the smile that was forming across her face as he said. "I love you, too."

"I don't want you to leave me." Elena said, looking down at her own shaking hands when she saw Stefan grab a hold of them, squeezing them tightly and leaning in to her as he whispered against her ear. "I don't want to go either. But, I'm going to make sure that tonight, you and I have a night that we'll never forget, it'll keep you from missing me too much while I'm away."

* * *

It all happened so fast, his arms around her, his foot nearly slamming the balcony doors shut as he pushed them back in to the room, Stefan's lips never once leaving Elena's as he kissed her breathlessly and began to work his hands around to her backside, unzipping her dress.

She didn't stop him, she didn't want too as she felt his warm fingertips glide against her skin, leaving a shiver going down her spine. Elena felt herself being lower back on to the bed, her legs wrapped around his waistline, pulling him closer when she began working her hands towards his shirt, unbuttoning the buttons, frantically. Elena leaned into him, kissing his stomach as she stopped for a moment, hearing Stefan's breathing become staggered, watching him lean down to her, lifting up her chin with his fingertips, pushing Elena back on to the bed further and hovering over her, shrugging off his shirt and, feeling her hands glide across his chest as he lowered himself above her, leaning in and kissing her lips softly, running his hands through her hair when she closed her eyes at his touch and arched her back to him.

"You're beautiful. And, I really have no idea how I got so lucky with you..Katherine." He whispered against her ear, causing Elena to place her finger on to his lips, her gaze securing on to him when he watched her eyes begin to fill with unshed tears.

"Oh, don't cry. Please..don't start crying." He told her, kissing her cheeks. Elena wrapped her arms around him tightly. She didn't want to let him go, she didn't want to give him up. Although, she knew that it was the right thing to do, after all of the lies, the of her pretending to be Katherine was inevitable.

"I'm just going to miss you, so much." She said softly, sniffling. Stefan glanced down at her, his thumbs wiping away the blackened mascara tears that were falling on to the white colored bed spread as he smiled sweetly. "I'll be back before you know it. It's just a few weeks and then you and I can spend as much time together as we want. I know that I work a lot. But, I want that to change. I want to be the best husband I can to you. I love you so much." He admitted, hearing Elena's shaky breath speak, an almost sorrowful tone in her voice as she said. "I know. Stefan..." Her voice broke, feeling his hands slipping into her hair, as she closed her eyes and heard him reply with a soft "What?"

"I know you'll be gone just for a few weeks. But, I want to remember you like this...with me." She stammered out, hearing Stefan laugh, leaning down to kiss her again, his hands gliding against her soft thighs. "Okay." He whispered, pulling her into his arms and kissing her with a rough and longing passion, silencing both of their thoughts and causing Elena to never want to leave his embrace.

* * *

Their clothing became scattered all on the floor, the bed sheets tangled against their bodies, Elena's voice faltering throughout the room as Stefan kissed thighs, trailing his lips up and down her body, his hands touching every inch of skin that he could feel underneath them.

She couldn't speak, the only thing she was focused in on was him, the way his hands touched her, gliding up and down her body. Elena opened her eyes leaning into him, leaning forward just to touch him, caressing his chest and relishing in the softness of him against her hand. Stefan's muscular arms holding himself up as he leaned down, pushing a few strands of her sweaty and wet hair away from her neck.

"You're amazing. I never want this to end." She whispered against him, pulling him down as she felt his arms lift her up to him, smirking when he replied in a breathy tone. "We still have a few more hours before I leave..We have a lot of time, sweetheart. You don't need to worry."

If only it was true, that she could live her life with him when he returned, even after she told him who she really was. However, Elena knew that after tonight, she'd never be able to be with him in this way again, so intimately and vulnerable in his arms. Her heart broke at the thought of telling him and for the fact that time was slipping, because she knew that time was the one thing playing against her and soon it would all be over.

"Make love to me, Stefan..Make love to me until the sun rises because I don't want to forget this, I don't ever want to forget this feeling of loving you." Elena told him, watching him give her a perplexed look for a moment, shaking his head with a small laugh escaping past his lips. She could feel his body relax, their hands intertwining when he bent down towards her again, one of his hands pulling her leg to rest against his shoulder as he kissed her flesh, working his way down her body when he grinned, watching Elena's fists bunching up the sheets between her fingers.

"You won't. I promise that starting now, I'm going to be a better husband to you and I'm going to make sure that you never forget this feeling." He commented, pulling Elena to him as continued working his way across her body, fulfilling her one request of being his for the night.

* * *

She fell asleep in his arms for what felt like hours. By the time they had awoke, it was already the early morning. Although, the sun hadn't even started to shine yet. She could hear the soft sound of him sleeping near her almost causing her to not want to get up and leave his side. But, it was time. Elena thought to herself as she slide out from his grasp, pulling one of his shirts over her naked body. Elena quickly grabbed her purse from the night before and stepped out on to the balcony, sitting down at the small table and inhaling the smells of the city, including the smell of him that she had grown to love so much.

Her hands began to shake as she pulled out a small piece of paper that was folded up, taking out a pen too. She briefly looked down at the city lights, a bone chilling wind gusting her way. Elena shivered, pulling his suit jacket that she had grabbed along with his shirt against her body tighter. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and allowing the tears to escape on to her cheeks when she finally mustered up the courage to write down what she had been wanting to tell him for weeks now.

_Dear Stefan,_

_I don't know how to tell you this..I'm honestly still trying to figure things out myself and come to terms with it all. But, I think it's time you know the truth. I'm not who you think I am...I'm not your wife. My name isn't Katherine Salvatore and truthfully, I only learned about her the other night. My real name is Elena Gilbert and everything I've told you up until tonight has been a lie. Although, one thing remains true and it's this- I love you and I don't want to give you up. However, now I have to. For both of our sakes, I have to give you back. I wish I could get the chance to explain myself, I wish more than anything that I can one day tell you all of this to your face. But, until that day comes. I'm writing you this letter and I don't want you to open it until you're already on the plane. Because, when you come back..I'll be gone and all that will remain for me is the memories of tonight and how amazing you are. I wish we would have met under different circumstances, maybe you would have loved me just as much as I'm starting to love you._

_I'm sorry for everything I did to hurt you. And I hope one day you can forgive me._

_With all my love,_

_Elena._

Her falling tears stained the paper as she folded it back up and wrote his name, and then right underneath it she wrote, **Please don't open this until you're in Europe.** Elena inhaled deeply, shoving the paper into her purse and wiping away her tears as she exhaled and made her way back into the room, sliding herself back into the bed, beside him and feeling him pull her closer as he woke up for a moment to kiss her shoulder, murmuring how much he loved her before he fell asleep again. Never once knowing how this would be the last time he held her in his arms, the woman that had been pretending to be someone else, someone who he thought he loved. All the while, Elena's own heart broke inside because she knew that once the bright sun rose and the morning came. He'd be gone and that all of this would be all over. However, the thing that killed her inside the most was the fact that they'd go back to being what they should have been all along, two strangers living in two completely different worlds.

* * *

**A/N: Oh...Elena! Anyone else kind of feeling bad for the poor girl. She loves him! :( Anyways, the next update (CH.10) will be taking us BACK TO THE START of the story (to the prologue)! :) I bet you guys are all curious as to what Stefan's going to say once he finds out she's not Katherine!**

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! ** _ _I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

**_-Until Next Time!-_ **

 


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Ten**

It had been a few weeks since Stefan had left home. Which had given Elena time to plan. She had been planning on leaving, leaving them all just like the way she had entered into their lives, secretly without them even knowing that she was gone. However, he stopped her. Elijah, her sister's lover, whom Katherine had been sleeping with behind Stefan's back. The one that Katherine truly loved. But, just as Elena was about to pick her things up, plan her escape and never look back. He slipped into the room. And, that's when she heard it, the familiar sound of Stefan's footsteps. He was finally home and here she was, bags pack inside of the closet, all ready to leave this life behind and to go back to her old life.

_Within the moment she looked up at Elijah. Tears in her eyes began to form when she heard Stefan walking through the hallway and his hands slowly began to open the door to_ _their_ _bedroom. Elena stood her ground and watched the open the door. She exhaled deeply and shook the tears away on her face as she opened her mouth and uttered the one secret that she had been keeping from everyone._

Elena watched them stare at her, curiosity on their faces when she turned to look at both of the men she had been making a fool of ever since she stepped through the doors of Katherine Salvatore's home. She couldn't take it any longer, she needed to tell them and so, it was all said..all laid out in front of them, her secret that was about to break and change everything between them all.

_"I'm not who you think I am. I'm not your trophy wife or a secret love affair to avoid the real problems with your wife. You're best friends and I am not her. I won't come between the two of you anymore. So, I'm finally telling you the truth. My name isn't Katherine Salvatore and I'm not this rich socialite." Elena shouted, watching as Stefan and Elijah both looked over at her with dumbstruck expressions on their faces, staying silent as she continued to release all of her truths out into the open and began taking off the jewelry that the men had given her over the time she had been with them, all of it falling to the floor. Just like her heart was in the moment, falling to the pit of her stomach._

_"My name is Elena Gilbert and Katherine is my long lost identical twin sister. I've been lying to everyone in this house for awhile now and I've been living this lie as Katherine to find out more information about her and who she is, why she looks like me. I know now though, that we're sisters." Elena admitted, glancing up as the two men's eyes locked on her face and they stood in front of her not saying a word. Just allowing for Elena's words to sink in and trying to swallow the fact that they had both been baffled by the truth and by the woman they had thought they loved._

"That's impossible." Elijah stated, taking a step towards Elena as she backed away from him, glancing over at Stefan who looked as if he had just been shot through the heart. Elena shook her head, tears continuing to cascade down her face when she spoke. "No, I'm not Katherine. Because, everything I've told you has been a lie and I'm sorry. Stefan, Elijah. I'm sorry for hurting you the way she has. But, I didn't have a choice. I had to know more about her and this was my way in, into her world, into her life."

"I loved you. I told you things that only Katherine knows. We trusted you! Ha, of course you're not her. Katherine's different than you. No wonder you didn't want to sleep with me, you've been pushing me away from you and leaning towards Stefan this whole time because you didn't want one of us to expose you for who you really are, a liar!" Elijah said, looking over at Stefan who looked angered, his face locking on to Elijah as he abruptly spoke up, leaving Elena stunned.

"You've been sleeping with Katherine? I should have known. The way you would look at her. The way she looked at you! How could you..How could she have not just told me that she was cheating on me! How could my own wife do this to me. I've been nothing, but loyal to her, I've loved her throughout everything. Elijah, you were supposed to be my best friend, and nothing was supposed to come between us. But, I guess I was wrong and blinded by Katherine to not see her pushing herself away from me and falling in love with you."

"Stefan, we were going to tell you...She was going to tell you that she didn't love you anymore and we were going to leave town. But, then the next morning after she went to see you at work, she disappeared without a trance." Elijah told him, watching Stefan push himself up off the bed, feeling his body being shoved against the wall as his best friend wrapped his hands around his throat and snarled. "You son of a bitch! I want you out of here, I want you and Rose gone and I swear that if I ever see either of you again, I will rip your heart out of your chest and watch it bleed itself 's dry. We're done, you and I are done. You can both go to hell!" Stefan shouted at him, pushing away from Elijah and gazing over to Elena. Hearing Elijah cough out a breath before he turned towards the door to leave the room. Watching Elena try to do the same. But, her movements were stopped with the firm and tight grip of Stefan's hand on her arm.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you! I don't know who the hell you think you are or what kind of game you've been playing with us. But, I slept with you and you've been making me look like a fool ever since I found you in that shelter. Tell me, Elena. Tell me the truth, why'd you do it..Why did you pretend to be my wife and make me fall in love with you even more than I am with her!" He screamed, watching Elena's body tense at the loud increase in his voice, her tear filled gaze falling on to his hateful green glance.

"I didn't want to lose you! You've obviously read my letter that I wrote that night in the hotel room. Stefan, I'm sorry..I'm sorry I fell in love with you, I'm sorry that I made you believe I was her. I just- I wanted to know what it felt like to be in her world, to have the things that I never did and when I saw my opportunity, I took it. I never expected to meet you. But, your hers. Not mine and that's why I was planning on leaving tonight before you came back. That's why I wrote the letter because I knew that it would be an easy way to tell you. I couldn't face this. I don't want to give you up. But, it's too late for that now because I have to. I realize it now, you'll never be mine. " Elena cried out in a strangled tone, feeling his hand release its grip around her wrist as he stepped back, turning away from her when he yelled out. " You've done enough damage here! Pick up your things, and go. I can't stand to look at you any longer. Elena or Katherine..whoever you claim to be. I just want you to go."

* * *

She had been wandering the streets for hours, tears falling on to her clothing, her hair a mess as she stumbled in to the one place that she felt the most safe, the one place where it all began.

"Elena...Oh my god! I've been wondering where you've been. You look-" Bonnie began to say, getting up from her seat at the desk she sat behind as she quickly walked over to the girl she could barely recognize any longer all the down to her darkened makeup, her curly hair and her perfect looking clothes.

"I made a mistake, Bonnie. I messed up really bad and I don't know if and how I can fix it this time." Elena muttered out, feeling the cold on her skin diminish when Bonnie's warm arms wrapped around her and Elena buried her face in to the curve of her neck and sobbed.

"It's okay, Elena. It's okay. Tell me what happened." Bonnie said in a soothing tone, gently patting down the brunette's curly hair as she heard her sniffle and then watched Elena's face lift up off her shoulder. Her cheeks covered in dark black streaks when she said. "I fell in love with someone who isn't mine. I fell in love with him and now it's all ruined, all because of a lie. You're the only one who knows me and the only person that I can trust, that's why I'm telling you all of this."

Bonnie turned around, sorrow in her eyes as she handed Elena a tissue and watched her take it with shaking hands. "Elena, is there anything that I can do? Anything at all to help you." She asked, hearing the brunette take a long intake of breath before she replied in a gravelly tone. " I need your help, Bonnie. I need you to help me find someone close to me. I need answers and I need to hear them from her."

* * *

"You can't do, Klaus! You can't leave me!" Caroline cried, trying to prevent him from walking out the door.

"Move, Caroline. Let me go!" He told her, anger in his eyes, betrayal in his heart all from the love of his life. That's what Caroline was to him. His soul mate, his best friend and he hated what he was about to do. But, Klaus needed space from her, from his own daughter because he couldn't look at either of them without thinking about the other man that Caroline had confessed to being with.

"You should have thought about that before you cheated on me with your ex-boyfriend, Alex! How dare you destroy this family, ripping my heart in to shreds and having me raise another man's child. I swear Caroline, if the paternity test proves that she isn't mine. I'm still going to be in her life because, Alex clear doesn't give a damn about her. I love her, I love Sarah and I love you so much. But, as far as you and I go, at the moment. I don't think I can do this anymore. I can't even stand to look at you right now. So, let me go Caroline." He told her, narrowing his eyes at her as he heard Caroline start to cry, her tears falling down her face and going into her mouth as she tried to catch her shaky breath.

"Klaus, please. Please, don't go. I love you. I have always loved you and I made a mistake. Please..don't do this." Caroline begged, trying once more to grab a hold of his arm and watching as he quickly jerked it away.

"It's better this way. For awhile, at least. Until we figure things out." He told her, turning away from her and opening the door to their apartment as he placed his bags on to the floor and took one more glance at her, taking a long hard look at her crying face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Klaus. Please...I'm begging you to reconsider. What am I going to tell, Sarah?" She asked him in a breaking tone, her voice cracking with every word.

Klaus looked up at her and away from his bags for a brief moment, He paused as he took in the look in Caroline's blue eyes. She looked devastated, broken. Klaus took a long drawn out inhale of breath as he said in a soft tone. "Tell her that I'm going to be staying with her Uncle Stefan for awhile and she can come and see me whenever she wants. Goodbye, Caroline."

* * *

He was tired, exhausted from fighting with her for the last few days, trying his hardest to be the best dad he could be to what he thought was _his little girl._ But, there were still doubts in Klaus's mind about who Sarah belong too. For him, in his heart and in everything he knew it was this- No matter what he was told by Caroline as to who her father really was. He'd still be in her life, he had to be..because he was all she had ever known.

Klaus walked into the house, overhearing the voices of his sister and what sounded like Stefan arguing over something. The curiosity peaking a lot more as he quietly stepped further in to the house and listened in on them. He knew that they had somewhat of a history together, he was the one who had paid for Rebekah to go into rehab for her addiction to prescription pills. However, as the big brother in the family. Klaus was never really aware of the connection between Stefan and Rebekah- until now and it was clear to him that his little sister was still harboring her own secrets.

* * *

"I need them. I know you still have some, Rebekah. Give them to now!" Stefan nearly shouted, pushing her back against the counter. His hand placed against her chest as Rebekah looked up at him, her eyes glued to his face when she spoke in a firm tone.

"I don't use anymore, Stefan. Since, Klaus took me to rehab and ever since I met Damon. I'm trying to be a better person. I'm trying to stay on the right track and be clean. Why do you even need anything? What's going on with you?" She questioned, watching him take a step away from her, nervously running his hands through his hair.

Stefan looked down at the floor. Rebekah could smell the alcohol seeping out of his mouth and she knew that he had gone off the deep end, the struggling alcoholic and drug addict had finally succumb to his addictions. "I need to forget, I need to forget everything! Look, if you don't have anything on you. I'll go find something. It's way easier than it looks to get something from a dealer than you think, especially when I'm already a mess." He told her, brushing past Rebekah and just when he was about to leave the kitchen, a voice stopped him.

"I need to talk to you, both of you." Klaus said, staring straight at his sister and at Stefan as they backed away and he shook his head when Stefan let out a laugh, turning his back away from them.

"Talk to your sister, Klaus. You two need some family bonding. I'm going out, good night." Stefan said over his shoulder as he heard them both scoff and he grabbed his jacket that was hanging off one of the chairs in the kitchen, not saying anything more to either of them when he walked out of the house, in search of an escape.

* * *

He'd been out for hours and when he finally got home, the house was quiet. Too quiet and eerily lonely. Stefan's hands trembled when he stepped inside of what was supposed to be _their_ room. But, now it was a reminder of everything that he had lost. The feeling of knowing that Katherine, and his best friend had been together in this house, behind his back for who knows how long weighted heavily on Stefan's mind when he entered into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him and shutting everyone he loved out. His hands shook as he looked down at the small packaging of white powder, his mind only thinking about forgetting her. Forgetting all of it.

Stefan took out the powder from the clear white bag, inhaling deeply and looking down at it. For a moment, the feeling of euphoria hit him hard and nothing mattered any longer. But, he knew that once the high wore off that he'd be broken again, he'd be missing.. _her_. Stefan slowly cleared off the bathroom counter as he placed the powder on to the black top, rolling up a small piece of paper and leaning forward, closing his eyes as he began to snort the drugs up his nose, savoring what he knew he could from it and forgetting everything that clouded his mind, including her and allowing himself to be enticed by his demons once again.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, on the cold bathroom floor all alone. But, he didn't care. Yet, the tears still streamed down his face, when he pulled out the letter she had given him. He had found it in his suitcase. But, he hadn't had the chance to open it- until now. Stefan held it tightly in his hands when he quietly read her words that she had written for the first time since he had found it in his luggage, over and over again... _I wish we would have met under different circumstances, maybe you would have loved me just as much as I'm starting to love you._

* * *

**A/N: Ohhh Klaus..I wonder what he and Rebekah are going to talk about! Also, anyone wondering who Elena wants to find..Katherine maybe? ;) Also, uh oh Stefan!** **_So, now that we're back into the present of this story...be expecting more things to unfold!_ **

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! ** _ _I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_ **

**_-Until Next Time!-_ **

 


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey readers. So, I just felt like addressing some of your reviews. I'm sorry if this story is a bit hard to read for some of you because of the subject matter involving drugs and all that. However, I will try my best next time to place a warning in the update if it ends up getting more intense than it did in the last chapter with Stefan's character in future chapters. That way you all can decide if you want to read it or not. Hopefully, I haven't lost any readers because of it and that some of you still find this story interesting.**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Eleven**

She needed to find her, get the answers she needed and finally make sense of it all.

"I'll help you. But, who do you want to find so badly?" Bonnie asked, leaning over a table in the small cafeteria of the shelter, looking down at Elena's shaking hands as she scrolled through the information that was on the computer chip that Alaric had given her.

"My birth mother...I need to find my birth mother." Elena commented, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ears and exhaling deeply, watching Bonnie turn her attention away from the magazine that was in her hands, her eyes glued to Elena's serious facial expression.

"Are you sure about that? Elena...maybe she doesn't want to be found or what if-" Bonnie began to say, watching the brunette shake her head, exhaling deeply.

"I need to find her, I need to know why she gave me up..Bonnie, I've spent my whole life bouncing from one foster home to the next. Eventually when I turned 18. No one wanted to adopt me, so I moved in with a boyfriend who didn't love me as much as I thought he did. Well, needless to say when I left. I was lucky enough to end up here and still alive. These last few months have been so complicated, so confusing for me. No one knows me for the person that I really am. But, for the first time since I got involved in my sister's life and am slowly finding out more about who she is. I feel like I need to reconnect with the family that gave me up." Elena explained, looking out past the window and towards the light shining outside, she briefly wondered about it. About how her life was going to change if she ever found her mother.

"I just want to know why they didn't want me and why they kept Katherine. That's all. I just want answers and personally don't think that sitting here, scrolling through this information about my twin sister is going to get me anywhere. Most of it talks about her achievements and what her life is like, being married to her husband. There's nothing here that-" Elena began to say, suddenly gasping out a breath when she looked over at Bonnie and shouted at her. "You need to see this!"

"See what? Bonnie asked, glancing over at Elena as she gave her a confused look and watched as the brunette pointed to the computer screen.

"I have a name and an address. I found her name, Bonnie. My mom lives here, in Illinois. Only a few hours away from Chicago." Elena said, her eyes glued to the screen when she heard Bonnie let out a small excited laugh.

" Elena, what are you going to do? You can't just-" Bonnie tried to say, stopping in mid sentence when Elena's eyes glistened and she abruptly got up, pulling the memory chip out from the computer as she stated. "I'm going to pay her a visit. Now, do you want to come with me or not?"

* * *

Damon found him, covered in his own vomit. Laying face down on the sheets against his soiled bed. "Stefan..Stefan, wake up!" He shouted, shaking his brother awake, watching Stefan squint his eyes a little at him, a groan of agony escaping past his lips from the pounding headache he had and trying to decipher in his tortured head what was real and what wasn't, last night being filled with hallucinations that left him feeling like he was going crazy..mostly all of them being of her.

"What happened? What the hell did you take!" Damon asked him in a frantic tone, scanning the room for a syringe, for a piece of foil, for anything that would indicate what was wrong with his brother and what he had taken to cause him to be in such pain, such despair.

"It's nothing, Damon. I'm fine..I'm perfectly fine." Stefan told him in a slurred tone, stumbling to his feet as he ran his fingers though his hair and pulled down his shirt covered in bile.

"You're not fine. You took something, had a bad reaction to it and now, you're lying to me about it. Stop lying to me and tell me. What did you take, Stefan? I can tell you're still on it, your eyes are all blood shot and you're slurring your words." Damon shouted at him, watching his brother plug his ears at the noise, walking over to the bathroom once again, just about to close the door on him. But, he was quickly stopped by Damon's hand on the door.

"Don't shut me out. You've done it before and you ended up in rehab. Now, what happened last night and why is it that when you're supposed to be getting ready for our board meeting with Klaus and our other employees. I find my brother and my business partner of Dasells Antiques faced down, covered in all this crap. You're using again? I can't believe this..I-" Damon began to say angrily, hearing a laugh escape past his little brother's lips, a smug smile on his face as Stefan pivoted towards Damon again, leaning his body against the counter top, covering any evidence from the night before that he hadn't cleaned up that well from his brother's view.

"I'm not using, Damon. I just got a little drunk and I haven't drank in so long, you know..breaking that sobriety and all. Oh by the way, you must be way late to the party..Have you heard. My wife, Katherine..Well, not really my wife. But, her twin sister, Elena- the one that looks like my wife left last night right after she wrote me a letter, telling me that she was falling in love with me..How fucked up is that?"

Damon stayed silent, allowing Stefan's words to circulate around the room, watching his brother crumble in front of his eyes. He was sure of it, by the way Stefan was acting. This certainly wasn't just a drunken stumper. It was more than that and yet, Stefan was denying it. But, Damon knew that the more he pressed him on the issue, the more he asked questions that the more his little brother would deny it, just like he always had before- telling all the lies in the world so that he could keep doing what he was doing.

"What?" Damon asked him, a stunned look on his face. He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it. However, thinking about it now. There were a few times when he would come across her and she seemed a little different.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked him, trying to clarify what exactly it was that his brother was saying. Because he was still having a hard time believing anything coming out of his mouth at the moment and this wasn't any different.

"I said, the woman who was living here in this house. The one that looks just like Katherine and had been fooling us all for months. She isn't her. We've been lied too. All of us and I was an idiot to not see the differences between them. Until now that is. I slept with her, Damon and you know..Hah. I never once questioned the birthmark she had on her thigh or the tattoo she has on her ankle. I just figured that maybe I never really knew my wife or her body and it turns out, that I don't. I don't know Katherine at all. Oh, and one more thing..Katherine was having an affair with Elijah for the last two years of our marriage..." His voice trailed off in a flat tone, causing Damon to clear his throat, a whistle escaping past his lips as he shook his head and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Stefan..I'm-" Damon began to say, watching Stefan rolls his eyes at him, taking a step towards his brother and shoving him a little out of the bathroom until he was standing back inside of Stefan's bedroom.

"Don't Damon. Don't feel sorry for the fool that I am, for obviously not knowing the woman I spent more than two years of my life with better than I should. I should know Katherine better than anyone and I clearly don't. Just, leave me alone. I need to get cleaned up and I need time to think. Besides, you won't want your business partner to be a bigger mess than he already is during our meetings with these big wig sponsors today, do you?" Stefan asked him, watching Damon shake his head, pivoting on his heels away from his brother as he added in a soft tone. "I'll be waiting for you in the living room. Stefan, I'm sorry about all of this and hopefully Katherine will be found alive so that she can explain all of this madness." He told him, taking wide strides out of his brothers room when he suddenly stopped, hearing Stefan let out an annoyed laugh. "Yeah, so do I. Because, she surely has a lot of explaining to do!"

* * *

"Well, good morning to you too!" Rebekah said, hearing a groan escape past her brothers lips as he looked up at her, his hair a mess, the suit that he was wearing looked crinkled. The cell phone in front of him, was clearly the problem to all of the worry on his face.

"So, Caroline cheated on you. Klaus, I'm sorry for what you're going through. But, you need to know that Kol, Elijah and I are here for you." She said softly, turning away from the fridge and watching as Klaus rubbed his face with his hands.

"Here for me? Rebekah, the moment that my marriage to my wife starts falling apart. Suddenly, all of you greedy little bastards are here for me! I know what you want..What you've always wanted. Hell, I know exactly what Kol and Elijah want too. They want me to step down from my position at Desells and hand it over to one of them. And, you my dear little sister. You want me to divorce my wife so that you can watch my relationship with Caroline fall apart so badly. That, you'll swoop in to take care of Sarah if Caroline needs it. However, knowing you, you'll try to tell her that you'll need money and while I'm sent on long business trips away from here because my work will demand it, you'll wedge your way into our bank account because Caroline will be so thankful for any extra help she can get. It's not going to happen, I'm not leaving Caroline and I'll be damned if I ever allow you to take care of Sarah. So, You may feel sorry for me right now. But, I don't want your sympathy."

"Klaus..Wait." Rebekah told him, watching him push himself up from the bar stool in the kitchen that he was sitting in, turning away from her and running his fingers through his hair.

"What, Rebekah. We already talked about this last night. Do we really need to talk about it all again?" He asked her, over his shoulder, watching his little sister give him a sorrowful glance.

"I don't want your money, you're completely wrong about that. I don't care about that. All, I want is to see you with your little girl. I know that she's yours, Klaus and if you take the DNA test proving that she isn't. Just know that you've always been more of a father to her than the other man that Caroline was with." Rebekah told him, watching his shoulders slump a little, nodding his head.

"Well, there's only one way to find out about that now is there?" He commented, straightening out his suit jacket and tilting his head to the side, giving Rebekah a mesmerized look.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him in confusion, hearing Klaus let out a loud sigh as he replied before leaving the room. "I'm talking about finding out from Caroline where this Alex guy lives. She probably won't tell me. But, I'm sure that I can find out, snoop around a little, after work of course. Besides, I think it would be good for Alex to meet me. Since, he obviously has no idea who I am and what I would do to him, if he were to ever try to take Sarah away from me."

* * *

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Bonnie asked her, watching Elena clutch the steering wheel to her car tightly in her hands. The early morning was slowly starting to fade into the afternoon and Elena was so lost in her own thoughts that she had forgotten all about them stopping at a rest area along the way to think about what she was going to say when she got to her mom's house.

"Yeah, we are. We're about 15 minutes away from where she lives. She's a few hours outside of Chicago in this small town." Elena explained, keeping her eyes on the road as she briefly thought about what her birth mother might look like, fantasizing in her head at the thoughts of if they looked like one another. But, the one burning question in her mind was the one she couldn't shake off at all- knowing that she was the kid that her mother didn't want was killing her inside and Elena couldn't wait to confront her about it and to find out if maybe she knew exactly what happened to Katherine.

* * *

Bonnie watched as they parked in front of what looked like a house from one of those expensive and fancy trend setting home magazines. It had stucco covering it, a large gated fence in front of it, towering luscious green trees and an abundance of flowers on each side of the driveway as she parked the car and looked up at it in wonder. "Oh my god..Did you know that they were-" Bonnie began to say, rolling down the car window and letting the breeze hit her face as she examined the house further.

"Yeah, I figured they were rich. I mean, Katherine went to Princeton and her aunt..Our aunt, Jenna. I guess, owns an antique selling business in downtown. That's how she met her husband, Stefan Salvatore." Elena explained, watching Bonnie's head snap back towards her, a shocked look on her face when she uttered Stefan's name.

"You're sister is married to one of the riches guys in Chicago..You do know that right? Wait, a minute...Is he the one that-" Bonnie said, gazing over at her to see Elena nod, lowering her head down in a guilt ridden way.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought about Stefan, about the way she had hurt him. But, she knew that it would be easier this way, if he hated her. Then, maybe she herself could move on and stop thinking about him, just for a moment.

"I was pretending to be Katherine. My sister went missing a few months before I entered into their lives. It's been almost a year now and no one knows where she is, including her husband. Stefan saw me at the shelter that day and mistook me for Katherine and then, I saw my way into her life and into the answers I needed. I needed to know why I looked like her. I guess, that's why we're here now. Because, since I know that she's my sister. I want to know why I was the one given up, I want my answers from my birth mom." Elena told her, parking the car and exhaling deeply as she opened the car door and glanced over at Bonnie.

"Are you ready for this, Elena? Are you sure you want to know?" Bonnie asked, watching as the brunette nodded, softly replying.

"Yeah. I've waited my whole life to know who I am and she's the only person who can tell me. So, I'm more than ready to know, if she's willing to tell me anything at all, that is." Elena said, stepping out of the car and adjusting the dark red blouse she wore as she made her way towards the front door of their home. Elena's hands shook when she turned around to see Bonnie following behind her, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

She could hear footsteps from inside of the house getting louder and louder, and just as Elena turned around back towards the door. It opened widely. However, the woman standing in front of her wasn't who she expected at all, she was a much younger and leaner looking type of person, with an athletic physique . "I'm just going to-" The brunette with her curly voluminous locks began to say when she finally turned back to her visitor, glancing up in astonishment with her mouth gaped open just a bit and her wide brown eyed expression. She didn't say a word, just stared back at the two women standing outside of her house and listened to the only thing that could manage to get past Elena's vocal words, a name...One name that left them both reeling from shock. "Katherine."

* * *

**A/N: Please let me know what you thought about this update. Since, it really does motivate me to write better. So, suggestions and things you all might want to see happen are always welcome! :)**

**So, this chapter just changed the game A LOT! Katherine's alive and clearly not missing. But, why was she hiding out in this house and is she even alone in it? Klaus wants to go meet Alex and well, Stefan's a mess...Oh, and that cliffhanger..anyone else shocked? ;)**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

**Thanks so much for reading & until next time! **


	13. Chapter Tweleve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey all hope you all like this chapter update. :) It reveals a lot of stuff and it does have a flashback. Also, Katherine and Elena finally come face to face with a few more surprising twists. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twelve**

It was like the air was sucked out of her lungs as she locked her brown eyes on the woman standing in front of her. Elena's whole body was in shock, hands trembling, her voice somewhere strangled inside of her vocal cords as Katherine opened the door wider, a grin on her face.

"It must have been hard trying to live up to being me." She said, taking a step back before she added. "Come on in, Elena. You and I have a lot to discuss."

Elena stepped inside of the house slowly. It was beautiful she thought, marbled light colored flooring ran throughout it. A wooden staircase was to the right side of the entry and when she looked up towards what she figured was the living room, she could see a view that was breathtaking, a green lush orchard that looked like it spanned miles out on the property.

"Um, how do you even-" Elena began to say, watching Katherine take a step into their kitchen, placing her hands on top of the cherry colored counter tops, tapping her long bright red fingernails on it, looking down at her hands before she spoke.

"I've seen you with my husband on magazine covers, the newspapers too. That's how I know about you. So, how has it been, living as me?" She asked her in a snarky tone, turning away from Elena and Bonnie as she opened the refrigerator behind her and pulled out a bottle of wine.

"You want a drink?" She asked. Elena and Bonnie sat silently on a pair of dining room chairs in the kitchen and watched Katherine open the bottle of wine, pouring herself a medium sized glass of red liquid.

"Here, I'm sure that pretending to be me and keeping up the charade has been exhausting." Katherine commented, sitting down across from Elena and looking over at Bonnie. The two women watched as Katherine handed them both a glass of wine and smiled before drinking hers.

"You have no idea what I've been through because of you!" Elena said abruptly, the rise in her tone of voice causing Bonnie to jump a bit. Katherine didn't even look that surprised, she looked relieved almost, like she was thankful that she wasn't the only one being hounded by paparazzi or being followed like she had been ever since she had gotten involved with the Salvatore family.

"Oh, I'm sure I have an idea. I guess what surprises me and amazes me the most is how my husband didn't know the difference. You clearly act differently than I do. You see, Elena. Most of those people in that house hated me because I know how to get what I want and I'm a very skilled liar. But, you on the other hand, you're clearly not. You seem so innocent and naive, thinking that they would actually care about you. Even if you were tricking them into thinking that you were me. I'm sure most of them, weren't even that thrilled to see you walking around that house." Katherine pointed out, taking a sip of her wine as she placed the half emptied glass on the table and stared back at Elena.

"Bonnie, do you mind if I have a private word with Katherine?" Elena asked her, watching Bonnie nod and slowly get up, telling her that she was going to go make a few phone calls for work.

The sisters watched as Bonnie left and once she did, Elena didn't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Why did you fake your own kidnapping, Katherine! Do you even have any idea what you put your husband through? Because, you're wrong..a lot of them may have no cared about you. But, he does." Elena said in a harsh tone, hearing Katherine let out a small laugh, it was as if she didn't give a damn, like she wasn't that concerned about Stefan at all.

"You want to know why I did it, Elena? Why I left it all behind for good and came to live out here, making it look like that I was kidnapped in front of Dasells Antiques? Look, I didn't think that they'd try to pin my disappearance on Stefan. Since, he was the last person to see me. But, I had to get out of that life. I didn't want it anymore, I couldn't stand to have everything I did highlighted by everyone. You have no idea what that even feels like!" Katherine explained, watching Elena shake her head, instantly disagreeing.

"You don't think I know what it feels like to be watched, to be criticized for everything you do? You have no clue what I've been through, Katherine. What kind of life I've had since our parents decided to give me up. I went from having nothing, no one in my life that even gave a damn about me, living on the streets and scrapping up every inch of food I could just so that I didn't have to go hungry. To pretending to be you. But, the thing was that I could handle being photographed and having the cameras follow me around. Because eventually, I started to believe that I was you and honestly, you really are a manipulative, lying and diabolical person. Although, I couldn't live lying to the one person who I know loves you more than anyone...Stefan." Elena told her, watching Katherine look away from her, exhaling deeply.

"So, I take it that you finally told him who you really are." Katherine said, shrugging her shoulders back as she locked her eyes on to Elena.

"Yeah, I did and it's the worst thing that I have ever had to do. He's a wonderful and loving man. But, Stefan doesn't want me, Katherine. As much as I wish he did, as much as I want him. He wants you...He just wants his wife back." Elena said sighing out a heavy breath as she placed her hands onto the table that they were sitting at.

Katherine looked nervous almost, once the subject changed from Elena to Stefan. It was as if everything else between the two of them became awkward, and even more surprising were the next words out of Katherine's mouth. "I think that you should go. There isn't anything that we can talk about any longer. You found me and I know that you came here to get your answers. Well, you got them. I left because I didn't want the life I was living anymore. Now, you and your friend really need to leave."

"What? I have so many questions. Like, where's our mom, Isobel and are her and John even together anymore?" Elena began to ask, watching Katherine get up briskly from her seat and shake her head. "I wish I could answer that for you. But, I can't today. Look, Elena...you clearly came here thinking that you would get a relationship with your family. But, I can't promise that..none of us can. Now, you need to leave. Before-" Katherine said in a rushed tone, just as the front door opened and a set of small footsteps were heard running across the tiles. Katherine froze in place when she looked over at Elena and they both heard a soft cooing noise, and a woman's voice coming from the hallway. "Katherine darling. Who's here? Oh, by the way we had an amazing time at the park this morning. Isn't that right, sweetheart."

The dark haired older woman walked into the room holding the small hand of a little boy. He looked nearly like he could have easily been a one year old. Elena watched as he dropped the woman's hand, his dark hair and eyes shining with excitement as the older woman grabbed a hold of him again, helping him walk over to Katherine. Elena watched the little boy tug on Katherine's shirt, smiling when he excitedly out stretched his little arms and said. "Momma!"

Elena's eyes widened, her legs began to shake as she pushed herself back against the dining room table, speechless. The woman staring up at the two girls, still holding on to the little boy- looked just as confused as Elena did. Katherine's face was flushed and sickly looking. Elena on the other hand looked pale and stunned. "Oh my god. I can't believe it." The woman uttered out of her mouth like she knew without a second thought who Elena was and why she was there. She handed the little boy to Katherine and taking a step towards Elena, extending out her hand when she caressed Elena's soft skin and tears filled her own eyes when she stammered out. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Let's start with who I am. I'm your mother, Isobell and this little boy over here is your nephew, Ethan."

* * *

_"So, when did you start using?" The counselor didn't look really amused by him. Stefan was fidgeting, coming off from another withdrawal and he couldn't even really focus as the older gray haired man spoke to him in a soft tone._

_"My parents divorced when I was a kid. Neither of them really gave a damn about me. So, they'd give me money to just keep me from complaining. I tried being the good son, doing everything I was told just to get them to pay any attention to me. But, instead I got involved with the wrong crowd of rich socialites that were all doing horrible things. My group of rule breaking friends fueled my drug use and alcohol. I guess it was enough to finally get my parents to talk to me. So, they sent me to here- the first time. Look...Doc. I don't need your bullshit healing, I know why my brother and everyone else thought it was a good idea to send me back in here. It's because my wife went missing and I can't cope with it. So, I started using again. I'm a selfish asshole because I should be out there searching for her. However, since I was the last one to see her alive.. Everyone thinks I'm the main suspect in her disappearance, even after they questioned me and let me go on a lack of evidence..So, I'm here instead after another slip up. You know, they all think I'm clean, that I've been clean. But, truthfully. I'm barely keeping it together." Stefan had told him, a shameful look on his face as the counselor named John wrote down something on his notepad and looked up back at him again._

_"Did you really have anything to do your wife going missing that day when she came to see you at Desells?" John asked him, hearing Stefan let out a loud laugh as he shook his head._

_"I loved her and do you really think that I would be sitting in rehab if I did? I didn't do anything to her. She's the love of my life and I would never hurt her...I just...I miss her and I want her home. Katherine has always been there for me, I could tell her anything and she'd give me advice. But, that was the part of Katherine that I only got to see. To everyone else, my wife is a powerful, well desired woman that everyone wants to be like and they all think she's manipulator. Now, maybe I'm blinded by it. But, I don't see that part of her."_

"Stefan. Stefan!" Damon shouted at him, slamming his fist on to the able table in the conference room that they were sitting at.

"I'm listening." Stefan said in a daze, shaking his head to bring himself back to focusing on the present as he watched Damon run his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"You need to get it together before we go back into that meeting. Stop being such a stubborn jerk and pull yourself together, you need to be focused. Look, Stefan. I know that the girl you thought was Katherine left. But, it's better this way!" Damon remarked, taking a step back from the table and looking out the large glass windows in the conference room that overlooked the large buildings and skyscrapers of downtown Chicago.

"What is it, Damon? I'm just a little relaxed. What's the big deal?" Stefan asked with a chuckle, watching his brother turn towards him, his blue eyes filled with anger. "Relaxed? You're high, Stefan! You're still riding that damn high and if you go in there with all those people. They can't notice it or you will end up bringing yourself down. So, what do you need me to do? Should I send you back into rehab again or-" Damon began to ramble as he looked over at his brother.

Stefan had lifted his legs up on to the table, his arms resting above his head as he cleared his throat and spoke with firm and certain tone. "I'll go to rehab again or detox for a week or whatever. But, I want you to do one thing for me while I'm there."

"Sure, anything." Damon vowed as he watched Stefan's leg slide off the table and land on the ground beneath them with a loud thump. "Try finding my wife and if you do end up finding her. Be sure to tell her that we're done. Once I get out of rehab, I'm signing divorce papers. I may love her, Damon. But, I should have never trusted her. I should have never been blinded by the curtain of deception that Katherine Peirce- Salvatore pulled over my eyes. However, I was and I'm done with her...And as far as that sister of hers, Elena. I was a fool for thinking that she was any different."

* * *

He had been rummaging through Caroline's things in their bedroom searching for anything he could find. Klaus had told Stefan and Damon that he couldn't attend the meeting because he had to go deal with Caroline. But, the truth was that he hadn't seen her almost all day long and he knew that she was out with Sarah for most of the day. So, when he had finally came into their townhouse to grab a few of his things, he figured that maybe she would have information on Alex. After what felt like hours though of looking over documents in Caroline's little file folders and just when he was about to give up. Klaus saw it, a small piece of paper written in Caroline's hand writing and it clearly had an address on it that read : 3455 South 102nd place. Apartment #207. "Well, this just got interesting." Klaus mumbled to himself as he stuffed the piece of paper into his pocket and grabbed some more clothing from the closet in their bedroom.

He hastily closed the door before leaving the townhouse as he had found it. He didn't want Caroline knowing what his plans were or that he was even there. But, something in Klaus broke as he walked towards the elevator and watched the doors closed. He didn't want to talk to Alex just yet. However, he knew that the longer he waited, the more he and Caroline would grow apart and Klaus wanted more than anything to save his marriage and the family that they had created. So, it was within that moment, watching the numbers in the elevator drop, that Klaus knew what he had to do.

* * *

He had taken a taxi to his apartment, finding it a few blocks away from a coffee shop that he had taken Caroline to a few times. Klaus felt the anger inside of him boil, his skin was crawling and every inch of his body was tense when he walked into the building and gripped onto the piece of paper, Alex's apartment number taunting him.

Klaus walked up the stairs quickly, so many things running though his mind when he finally found the number and knocked rapidly on the door. He took a step back, his hands in his pockets when he heard the door open and looked up to be met with a pair of blue eyes that mirrored his own.

"Are you Alex Walsh?" Klaus asked him, a smile spreading across his face as the man nodded, his tasseled hair a mess and the white t-shirt that he wore had a few grease stains on it.

"Splendid, it's your lucky day. I have a message from Caroline Mikaelson." Klaus smirked, taking his hands out of his pockets, cracking his knuckles and looking up at Alex with a sinister smile on his face.

"Caroline..I haven't seen her in a long time. How's she-" Alex began to say, suddenly watching Klaus take a quick step towards him, slamming him against the opened door to his apartment before Alex could even catch his breath or finish his own thoughts. The fear in Alex's eyes grew wide as he gave a confused look to Klaus and watched the man look around to see that no one was watching him, threatening the man pushed up against the white door to apartment #207.

"She's doing good, mate. Now, I know you said you haven't seen her in a long time. How about we keep it that way..hmm? So, here's my message from her to you. Stay the fuck away from her if she tries to contact you regarding anything at all. I don't want you to answer her, pretend like you don't even remember who she is. " Klaus warned him in a hostile voice, letting the grip on Alex's shirt go as he patted his chest, hearing Alex let out a cough.

"And, why should I listen to you..Who the hell are you?" Alex asked, straightening out his shirt as he watched Klaus take a step back from him, a grin still plastered on his face. His darkened blue eyes shining. "I'm her husband and you really don't want any business with me. Now, if my wife comes to you and wants to see you. Remember..you don't know her. Do you understand me?"

Alex nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat as he watched Klaus shrug his shoulders back, a smirk on his face when he added. "Great, I'm glad we could come to an understanding. Since, I really didn't want this getting bloody and you ruining my suit. Have a nice day, Mr. Walsh and hopefully you won't be seeing me anytime soon."

* * *

**A/N: Um...So, Katherine has a son and that's why she's been in hiding and living with her parents?! WHAT! Any guesses as to who the dad is? And what about Klaus threatening Alex..Something tells me that this won't be their only encounter! ;)**

**Please let me know what you thought about this update. Since, it really does motivate me to write better. So, suggestions and things you all might want to see happen are always welcome! :)**

**-Until next time!-**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirteen**

"I'm taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. I'm...You know what. It's not that important." Stefan told them, watching Elijah glare at him, Damon placed his hands onto the large table that sat around 15 people when the room was full and looked up at his brother. He already knew where the conversation was going. The four of them being called in like this- the four main men of Dasells. It could only mean a few changes were happening...

"I want Klaus to take over my spot. He'll be acting as Chairman of the company until I return. Elijah, you'll be taking his spot on the committee board. " Stefan spat, not even looking over at his former best friend. They hadn't really spoken since Elena left and Stefan didn't want to. Business was business and this building with its thinning walls and gossiping crowd of workers was no place to bring up his addiction or his cheating wife. Unless it was in the comfort of his brother's presence and his alone. No else in the 10 story tall building needed to know what went on behind closed doors in the Salvatore's lives. However, there was always the media, always the press hounding them for stories, for small details into their private lives and whenever either Stefan or Damon stayed silent about what was going on. There was speculation- headlines.

"Please tell me that this has nothing to do with the latest headline with you on the cover of it." Klaus said, slipping into the conference room with a sly smile on his face, a newspaper in his hands with Stefan's face plastered across it. The headline reading **"Troubled millionaire and chairman of Dasells Antiques- struggling once again."**

"You've got to be kidding me! This was supposed to be kept private...This- Which one of you told the masses of media outside?" Stefan spat at them in an angered tone, hearing Klaus exhale, Elijah's eyes shifted as he cleared his throat.

"It wasn't any of us..Stefan, they know about your struggle with- you know..." Elijah said. His voice trailing off as he shifted in his seat. They hadn't talked..They- the two former best friends hadn't really had much else to say to each other than what had already been said..The damage was already done. Yet, Stefan still told him that until he was able to find his replacement that he would be keeping Elijah as part of their company- even if he hated seeing the sight of him. For the sake of the company, they had to be civil.

"Oh course they do. Look, Just...I don't know how long I'll be gone." Stefan commented. His vision became blurred, his head felt like it weighed 1000 pounds and he couldn't sit still, his head foggy and every time he'd look up, he swore he could see a darkened and sad looking pair of brown eyes. It was _her_ \- _she..._ was haunting him. He was coming off of his high from this morning...He was using again and now, in front of his 'friends' he was crashing and burning- fast.

Stefan shook his head, pushing himself away from the table. He adjusted his suit jacket and cleared his throat, glancing up at Damon. "I'm not feeling very well. Will you excuse me?" He asked his brother, watching Damon nod as Klaus and Elijah looked over at him and he quietly excused himself from the room, stumbling out of it and towards the hallway.

He was sweating profusely, the cool sweat was dripping down his neck and as he looked around, he felt as if the building was caving in on itself or him for that matter. "I need to get out of here." Stefan muttered, walking past a stairwell and stopping for a moment. The quickest way to get out of the building undetected was through the parking garage down stairs- it was also where he had parked his car at.

Stefan yanked the door open, looking back for a moment before quickly going down the stairs. He felt sick again, his stomach churning with something he couldn't really place as he pulled open the door to the lower level of the garage. But, just as he thought he was home free and able to get to his car..He saw them- swarming towards him, camera's flashing as they shouted. "Mr. Salvatore! Is it true that you're going back into rehab? What happened to being sober?" One of the men shouted. Stefan blocked his face with his arms as he tried to push passed them.

"You all are trespassing!" He stated in an angered tone, pushing one of them out of the way, gazing up to see him stumble back, the camera still in his hands as he found his balance again and regained his camera- directed at Stefan's face.

"Stefan! Mr. Salvatore! What does your wife think about all this?" Another man shouted. Stefan stopped, swallowing the lump in his throat..His wife? Katherine? Hell, for all Stefan knew, Katherine was dead to him. But, as he watched the paparazzi back off a bit. He rubbed his face with hands and then exhaled. The next words out of his mouth were a surprise to his ears...Maybe if she knew that he was in trouble, in rehab again _\- She would come for him_...The one person that he wanted to see again. But, knew that he shouldn't involve back into his messed up life... _Elena._

Stefan fixed his suit, a saddened look on his face as he ran his hands through his hair and opened his mouth. _"Don't tell them anything about our lives..They ask you a question..You deny it...They will ridicule you in every tabloid if you open your damn mouth and speak the truth!"_ Stefan shook his brother's words off as he coughed a bit and watched two of the guys that had been flashing their camera's and video cameras in his face just a few short minutes ago, come up to him again.

Here it goes- He was about to fuck everything up again. But, if it meant that he would stop seeing _her_ every time he closed his eyes and instead maybe getting her to have a sit down with him so that she could explain herself more. It would be worth it. "Yes, it's true. I'm voluntarily checking myself into rehab for my ongoing drug and alcohol abuse." Stefan told them, his darkened green eyes glossed over with unshed tears..He was about to crucify himself and tarnish his 'good boy' image just by this confession. But, it was too late...The words spilling out before he could stop himself. And, in that moment, the cameras and a new set of reporters came rushing up to him. Stefan knew instantly that rehab was going to be pure hell and the road to recovery was going to be even worse if his plan didn't work..He was going to be completely screwed!

* * *

It was as if time stood still, no one moved.

Katherine glanced up from Isobel to Elena, mindlessly fixing Ethan's soft dark brown hair, his eyes glistening in the light. Elena took a step towards Katherine, trying to get a better glimpse of who the child resembled.

"Mother, can you take Ethan into the next room? Elena and I have some more talking to do. Then, maybe we can all catch up..Since, we all have missed so much time together." Katherine said, her tone laced with annoyance at Elena even standing in front of her.

"Sure. I'll go and get him changed and bathed." Isobel commented, kissing Ethan's cheeks as the little boy giggled and they left the room.

The room went dead silent. The awkwardness between the two sister's filling every corner of the large kitchen as Elena sat back down on one of the chairs in the dining room and stared up at Katherine, clearing her throat.

"Who's son is he, Katherine? Is he Stefan's?" Elena probed. She wanted to know, she needed to know because her mind was spinning. If Stefan and Katherine had a child- it would change her views on him...It would mean that she could just give up now instead of trying to go and fix what her broken hurt was yearning for...him. She wanted to fix him, to help him because she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that he was in trouble and it was only going to get worse. Because, that's what Elena did. She fixed things, she fixed people- or at least she tried to.

"This discussion is over. I'm not telling you. If the father of my child doesn't even know he exists why should I tell my 'beloved' long lost sister? It's none of your business!" Katherine hissed, taking a step towards Elena and watching her get to her feet. They stood toe to toe, eyes locked intently on one another.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise you...I just- Wait, Ethan's dad doesn't know about him?" Elena questioned. Katherine looked down at her hands, they were shaking. It was true. Ethan's dad had no idea that he even existed and it was all because of what Katherine had done. Faking her own kidnapping a few days after she found out she was carrying _his_ child. Katherine was so scared Stefan would find out about her philandering ways. So she figured that 'disappearing' was the best way to get rid of her problems instead of face the truth.. She had cheated- Katherine Pierce-Salvatore had cheated on a man that loved her with his whole heart..A man that she thought she loved. But, over time, she discovered that she didn't..And, a baby that wasn't his would have left him even more devastated. It would have crushed him if he would have found out that his wife was sleeping around with men that weren't him, the same time that she had found out she was pregnant, let allow cheating on him with his 'best friend.'

"My son's isn't Stefan's..." Katherine's voice trailed off. Her voice was cracking as Elena watched her take a step back, running her fingers through her long curly brown hair. It was the first time ever that Katherine had confessed that to anyone. No one even knew who Ethan's father was- not even their own mother.

"After, I..um..after I left the spotlight and came here. I told our mother that I was pregnant. She promised me that we would take care of it. But, I didn't want that. I wanted to keep him. Under one condition- as long as no one found out that I was here and that I had cheated on Stefan. The whole family was so deep into the tabloids. Stories of us- lies really. Were being printed like wild fire and with Stefan's addiction...I knew he wouldn't be able to handle my confession. So, after being dropped off at Dasells and seeing Stefan. I took a cab back home, shielding my face the whole time so that the driver couldn't recognize me. I went home and threw around my clothing and staged it to look like a struggle and a brutal kidnapping. I had a friend of mine come over and track muddy boot prints around to make it look like a man took me. No one was home and we didn't have security camera's around the building at the time. So, no one really knew or saw anything. I then had the same friend stage the kidnapping with me screaming as they sped off with me in the car, somehow undetected by witnesses not wanting to come forward. The next morning, I woke up here, at Isobel's house and it was all over the news.. _"Wife of famed and wealthy Stefan Salvatore, kidnapped. Blood splatter found at the scene."_

Her words stunned Elena. She could feel her mouth go dry, words not being able to leave her lips as she looked up at Katherine in astonishment. "You made everyone think you were dead! And it was all just because you were pregnant with someone else's child?" Elena spat out in an angered tone.

Katherine nodded. A shameful look in her eyes quickly fading as she walked past Elena and shrug her shoulders back. "Look, Elena. I needed to get out of that life and making it a big deal was the way to do it. I always wanted a big send off, anyways." Katherine told her with a sly grin.

"You think this is funny? Katherine, everyone thought you were dead! They even held a memorial service for you and a candle light vigil. No one knew where you were. Why didn't you just divorce Stefan instead of put him through hell?" Elena asked in a harsh tone, hearing Katherine let out a small chuckle.

"Because, I wanted them both. Part of me loved them both. Look, Elena. I loved Stefan way back when and I didn't want to let him go. Because, I liked the attention he gave me. But, then Elijah came into the picture and I found a way out from my crumbling relationship with Stefan. He's always been married to his work. Not me." Katherine added, watching Elena roll her eyes.

"You were using Stefan. You were putting him through hell just because you couldn't make up your damn mind? You're sick and crazy. I knew this was a bad idea, coming here!" Elena shouted, gathering her jacket and bag from the table behind her as she huffed out a breath.

"I know you think I'm evil and crazy. But, Elena...You have no idea what my life was like. Stefan doesn't want kids..I actually even thought about telling him that the baby was his..But-" Katherine began to say, trying to justify her actions and her words.

Elena snorted out a small laugh, turning back towards Katherine. " Are you fucking kidding me? You seemed to have it pretty easy. It must have been hard screwing two men and then using them both for your own gain. My god, you are a bitch. I really hope that when Stefan finds out about the illegitimate child that you thought you could have tried to pass off as his for a brief second that he realizes how insane you are!"

Elena quickly brushed past Katherine and towards the front door to the house, waving over Bonnie who had been sitting outside on the patio for a while now as the front door swung open and she heard Katherine follow her. "Wait! Elena, listen to me. You don't know the whole story..."

"Oh, I think I do, Katherine. I've heard enough. Ethan is clearly Elijah's son and you played them both! You are a sick woman and a whore!" Elena shouted, lifting her hands up in to the air in frustration as she watched Katherine close the front door behind her, taking a few steps towards Bonnie and Elena, closing the distant gap between them.

"Ethan isn't Elijah's son either...Ethan's dad is my best friend, a guy that I met a long time ago while on a business trip with Stefan. We clicked almost instantly and became fast friends over the years. I saw him a few times in the past few months and when I was having a rough patch with both Stefan and Elijah. I ended up spending some time with him... His name is Mason Lockwood and he doesn't know about Ethan. I don't want him to know that he has a son with me. It's just better this way." Katherine confessed, feeling the weight of guilt build on her shoulders as Elena looked up at her, pure confusion and bewilderment in her eyes.

"Why not? If he isn't Stefan or Elijah's kid. Then, why not tell the other guy that he has a son?" Elena asked her, searching Katherine's brown eyes that mirrored her own as Katherine swallowed the lump in her throat that was forming when she quietly added. "Because, a year ago Mason Lockwood was my best friend. But, now he's serving a life time sentence in a maximum security prison. And, I don't want him in Ethan's life because it was only supposed to be a fling..I was never even supposed to get pregnant."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Or are you guys like WTF just happened?! ;) If you are..No worries, the next chapter will have some back story to Katherine's confession aka flashbacks! :)**

**Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. Love hearing your thoughts.**

**Thanks so much for reading & until next time! **


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Fourteen**

"Tell me about everything. You must of screwed up pretty big if your back here again?" John- his treatment counselor asked him, throwing down the cream colored folder onto his desk, the side of it had Stefan's name labeled in bold black permanent marker.

"2010,2011, 2012...Should I keep going with this or should I stop..Clearly, you get the point. Right?" John commented, taking a seat across from Stefan and watching as he ran his hands through his hair, exhaling deeply. He hated treatment, he hated the feeling of every single damn person trying to save him, trying to dig him out and help it from the mess that he created. The walls seemed to be caving in on him as he sat inside of John's office, they were becoming smaller and smaller as John spoke.

"Look, how about we skip the "Look, you fucked up again" small talk and cut to the chase. I've been using again and it's felt good. I won't deny that I have a problem this time, John. Because, I know that I do. So, how do you fix someone who's addicted to alcohol and cocaine. Preferable the strong stuff, I like the rush of it, John. You know that...remember how I was when I first walked in here...High as a damn kite." Stefan's voice trailed off with a laugh, his hands trembling as he looked up at his treatment counselor and cracked a smile.

"You think this is funny? Do you think that I like seeing you in here, year after year? Mr. Salvatore...I can't help you if you won't help yourself. I really don't know how many times I have to tell you that." John commented, jotting down a few more notes and watching as Stefan looked around the room, suddenly feeling anxious, nauseous almost.

"Let's keep it casual. Don't call me, Mr. Salvatore. We've been playing this same song and dance for years. I come in here and you tell me how to fix me. I leave, get better for a bit- sometimes longer than a few months and then, some traumatic event happens and I end up where it all started. I was 18 years old when I first started using. I'm 26 years old now and a very well known man. Come on, John..I should have learned my lesson. However, I'm struggling. My wife went missing for almost a year, then I met this girl that I thought was my own wife..Turns out- she's not her and that Katherine is still a conniving and manipulative bitch- living in hiding. You know, she can't even face me or call to tell me that she's alive and well. I don't even know why I still care. Maybe it's because she helped me through a lot of stuff and she was the one who told me about this place, she'd come and visit me every day. Just to make sure that I was doing okay...Who knows, at this point. I shouldn't even give a damn about her anymore. I don't even know why I still do though." Stefan explained, watching John nod in agreement, his eyes locked on to Stefan's.

"I know that you're here because deep down you want to be helped, Stefan. Well, since I've been your treatment counselor for the last few years, that's what I'm assuming." He commented, hearing Stefan inhale through gritted teeth. Part of it was true, he was there to get help. But, he also wanted to get away- everything in the house reminded him of either Elena or Katherine and Stefan felt as if he was drowning in memories of both of them. Even though, He and Elena had never really been a couple to begin with, it was still hard to be in the house because he was hollow inside, his heart hurting for the woman that he thought she was.

The memories of Katherine though were even harder to process, even more painful and Stefan was feeling everything come to a boiling point-another reason to leave his house and go back to the one place that he had once felt was comforting- his escape.

"I allowed them both to slip right through my hands...Because, I'm an idiot." Stefan said in a soft tone, focusing in on his hands that were in his lap, not really noticing that John was writing down more and more notes.

"Who?" John asked, his head cocked to one side as he looked up briefly at Stefan.

"My wife and her twin sister...I know, it sounds crazy because I barely know her sister, Elena. But...I felt more alive with her than I ever did with Katherine. With Katherine it was always a struggle, to want to believe her words, to make things work. I mean, in the beginning of our relationship. Katherine and I were perfect for each other. But, I should have known that once she met my best friend, Elijah that things wouldn't have changed. He's always had a way with women and Katherine, always had a wondering eye for other men that weren't me. God, how could have I been so blind, so damn stupid to not realize that she was cheating on me!" Stefan commented in an agitated tone, gripping on to the arm rest.

"Stefan, sometimes love is...It blinds us so that we don't see anything else, so that we believe that we're with the right person, the one we think we deserve. Yet, deep down you know something's missing because Katherine was never really the one for you, was she?" He asked Stefan, hearing him shuffle his feet against the dark brown carpeting under his feet.

"No and I honestly, don't think I'll ever find the right person for me. I loved Katherine, John. Part of me- a very small part of me still does and I don't know what to do about it." Stefan told him, hearing John sigh out a breath before he replied in a soothing tone. "You need to move on, Stefan. You need to focus on yourself and then once you're ready, you need to let Katherine go and find someone new. Someone who makes you happy and loves you for who you are." John advised, smiling a bit as Stefan nodded in agreement. His counselor was right, the first step of his treatment was to focus more on himself and then once he was ready, he could move on from the woman that he once thought he would be with forever, his wife and lover, Katherine.

* * *

"Klaus?" Caroline questioned his name, watching as Klaus walked down the stairs, just as she opened the front door and Sarah came rushing at him, right when his feet hit the wooden floor of the Salvatore's entry way on the last step of the stairs.

"Daddy!" Sarah shouted, her face beaming with happiness and joy when Klaus picked her up into his arms and spun her around the entry way that lead into the living room. "I've missed you so much, darling." He told her, kissing her cheeks, watching Sarah's smile grow even more, her blue eyes shining when she added. "I've missed you too, Daddy...When are you coming home. Daddy, come home..Please?"

Klaus held her in his arms, feeling her little legs wrap around his waistline, watching Caroline place her purse in the living room, taking a seat on the couch. He swallowed the lump in his throat at his daughter's words. He hated this- being apart from Sarah, apart from Caroline- his family.

"I promise that I'll be home, soon..." He said as his voice cracked when Sarah buried her face into his neck, her curly blonde hair tickling the curve of his neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered. "Daddy, please...come home with us."

"Sweetheart, I'll tell you what. How about you go play in the play room that Uncle Stefan made for you while your mom and I talk?" Klaus told her, watching as Sarah shook her head, sniffling a little when she cried out. "No! I want to stay with you!"

Caroline cleared her throat, getting up from the couch as she looked over at Klaus and he nodded, mouthing to her that he had it under control. "Sarah, look at me." Caroline said softly, watching Sarah lift her head off of Klaus's shoulder. Her eyes were glossed over with unshed tears when Caroline said. "Honey, listen to daddy please and go play. You'll see him soon, I promise." Caroline took a step back as Klaus placed Sarah on to her feet and watched as their daughter wiped away her falling tears with the sleeves of her bright purple long sleeve shirt.

Neither of them said anything as Sarah left the room. Caroline stood just inches away from him, trying to reach out and touch his arm as Klaus took a step back. "Don't do this, Klaus. She misses you...I miss you."

He shook his head, looking down at his feet, biting down on his lower lip and placing his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from reaching out to Caroline and touching her because Klaus knew that if he did, if he allowed himself to touch Caroline's soft skin and indulge in the beauty that was his wife- in a few short weeks time- they'd be right where they started and he'd remind himself that she cheated...

"I can't do this right now, Caroline. I can't come home right now. Look, I can go to the house for a bit to help read Sarah a bed time story or something. But, I just- I can't be with you right now." Klaus commented, watching Caroline give him a saddened look.

"Please, Klaus..Please, I love you and I'm sorry! How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't mean to do what I did! How many damn times do we have to go through this? It's been weeks and I can't sleep without you, our daughter misses you. I miss you..Please..Let's stop this nonsense and be a family again." She told him, her blue eyes narrowed on his face as she exhaled deeply and Klaus ran his hands through his hair in pure frustration.

"Do you understand that I still need time? Caroline...Every time I look at you, every time I see Sarah- I think about what you did to us. So, no. I'm not coming home and I don't know if I will for a while." Honesty was seeping out of his voice as he watched Caroline run her hands through her hair, shaking her head when she went in the direction of the room where Sarah was at.

"What does that mean for us, Klaus?" Caroline asked him as she turned to face him again, her voice breaking when she locked her eyes on to his.

Klaus exhaled deeply, looking around the room before settling his eyes on his wife. "It means that once you're able to prove to me that Sarah isn't Alex's daughter...Then, I'll come home and we can start over. Because, that's all I want, Caroline. I just want to know she's mine. I just want to be her dad, again. But, until then- it's better that I stay here."

* * *

"We're not wanted here anymore, Bonnie. Let's go." Elena said, turning on her heels and heading towards the car.

"Elena, wait. It's not that I don't want you here- I do. But, right now..it's not the best time. Come back in a few days. I promise that I will answer any question you have about me giving you up and Katherine can answer anything else you want to know. You just need to know that I never meant to do it. Your father and I were struggling to make ends meet and, we just- we couldn't raise two baby girls. I'm so sorry." Isobel said, stepping out of the house and towards the drive way where the girls stood.

"So, you're telling me that even though Katherine could afford the best things out of life that she had...You just- you let me live on the streets, this whole time never reaching out to even give a damn about me and where I was living. You knew about me, you and my dad knew about me and no one came to help me. Because that's what family does, we help each other out! This was a bad idea, coming to see you- meeting Katherine. You know, Isobel. I've been without you my whole entire life. I don't really need you now. I've heard about enough, from you- from Katherine." Elena shouted, her voice shaking when she spoke.

Elena watched as Isobel took a few steps towards her, out stretching her arm when she softly said. "Elena, please understand. Your father and I were young, we didn't have all of this back then..Please, it's not that I didn't want you. I had to make a choice- I thought I was doing the best I could for you by giving you up."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a few more steps away from Isobel, tears filling her eyes, her whole body shaking at the thought. Her life had been hell in the foster homes, her life had been hell on the streets. But, the streets and the people that she had met there were more of a family that she ever had. "You have no idea what your choice did to me. My life was a living hell! 5 foster homes in just a few short years. Until, I thought I found one that I thought was going to keep me..That was until they changed. I was thankful to be on the streets when I finally ran away from them. Yeah it wasn't perfect. But, at least I didn't have to worry about being groped by a drunk 'foster dad' or hit and smacked around by my pill popping 'foster mother.' So, you know what, Isobel. You did the right thing. Thank you for giving me up and making me realize that I could never depend or trust anyone, ever."

"Elena, wait. Please-" Isobel began to say, watching as Elena finally reached the car, leaning against it as she shook her head, the tears in her eyes falling down her cheeks when she spoke. "No, I heard everything you had to say. You've made it very clear that you wanted her more than you wanted me. It's that simple, you just haven't admitted it to yourself. Besides, who wouldn't want the perfect and beautiful daughter? Because we all know that, no one ever wants the screwed up one. Good bye, Isobel."

* * *

Elena had tried calming herself as they drove away from the house and she wasn't sure why her hands were shaking when she got into the car. But, she knew that she had to stay calm as she called the only phone number that she could remember-Caroline's.

"Hello?" Caroline answered, her voice not as usually cheerful as Elena remembered her to be, just a few weeks prior to when she had seen her last.

"Caroline, It's Elena Gilbert. Please don't hang up." Elena begged her. Caroline huffed out a breath, ready to hang up the phone. She remembered what Damon had told her about who Elena really was and from everything that the eldest Salvatore brother had said, Caroline was conflicted between trying to figure out what to believe.

"Why are you calling me, Elena? What do you want?" Caroline hissed, hearing Elena take a pause, her voice and breathing becoming completely silent.

"I know that I should have called someone else. But, I didn't know who else to call...How is he doing, Caroline?" Elena asked her. Her heart was hurting at the thought of what her answer would be. But, something in the pit of her stomach told her that Stefan wasn't doing well, at all.

"You haven't heard? You haven't seen the news? Elena, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. But, he's in rehab again- he's not doing good at all. He checked himself into treatment a few hours ago. After you left, after he found out about Katherine- he went on a downward spiral and he's been a mess ever since." Caroline admitted, hearing Elena's breathing hitch, a sharp intake of breath breaking the silence over the phone.

"Caroline, I never meant to hurt him. You need to know that I never meant to hurt him, Caroline. Please..Caroline, can you tell me where he's at so that I can see him?" Elena asked, swallowing the lump in her throat as she shifted her weight in the passenger side of the car, watching Bonnie drive down the freeway. They hadn't asked Katherine as many questions while they were at the house because Isobel had told them that it would be best if they came back another time- of course they had to swear that they wouldn't tell anyone about who Ethan's real father was or about Ethan himself at all.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Elena. He's not in a good place and seeing you would trigger a lot of things for him. Look, it's not like your his girlfriend or anything like that. You shouldn't even care about him. Why do you anyway? Why do you care about a man that you barely know?"Caroline questioned her, listening as Elena once again went silent before she replied with the most truthful answer that she knew would cause herself to come to a very big conclusion inside of her own conflicted heart.

"Because, I'm falling in love with him, Caroline. I love him and I care about him. Please, I know that he doesn't want to see me. But, I want to see him..I'm begging you, tell me where he is." Elena pleaded with her. Finally after a few minutes of begging the blonde that had once been so kind and sweet to her, she could tell that she had gotten through to Caroline, because Elena knew that Caroline knew one thing- there were things they all did for love, even if it meant fighting for it until you bled yourself dry- it'd still somehow all be worth it in the end.

"Fine." Caroline sighed out a breath before pausing. "I'll give you the address. But, whatever you do. Don't hurt him again, Elena. He won't be able to survive it. He can't handle being hurt anymore. So Please. Don't do anything stupid. Listen though, even though I only knew you for a short time. I can tell that you're better than her. You're better than Katherine and maybe you can be the one to save him from himself. Maybe you can be the one to pull him out of the darkness before it devours him whole."

* * *

It had taken them a while to get back to Chicago and to the facility that Caroline had told her where he would be. Bonnie had dropped her off and told her that she had to go check on a few things and that if Elena needed anything that she would be nearby.

The building was an old red brick building with a huge garden to the side of it. Elena exhaled as she walked over to entrance. But, paused when for a moment. She wasn't even really sure what she was really doing there. Caroline was right- They barely even knew each other. Yet, there was something between them that Elena couldn't ignore and she could feel her eyes close tightly when she held on to the silver handle, pulling the door.

She inhale through gritted teeth as she pulled the door open to the entrance and looked around, it was a brightly lit and nicely decorated building. Books and pictures of former patients with their success stories lined the walls and inspiration quotes seemed to be a running theme throughout the lobby.

As she walked around for a moment before a young woman with blonde overly flat ironed hair stopped her from going any further. "Ma'am, can I help you?" She asked.

Elena watched as the girl blinked at her, a smile on her face as she eyed Elena up and down and then said in an surprised tone. "Oh my god, I recognize you from the tabloids. You're Stefan Salvatore's wife, Katherine! Stefan's been waiting for you."

"I'm not...Uh...He has?" Elena asked her in confusion. Elena wanted to correct her mistake for calling her 'Mrs. Salvatore.' But she figured that if that could get her quicker to the place where Stefan was at then it didn't matter. Elena stood there watching when the girl nodded and then looked around the lobby, a clip board in her hands. "He's actually in the study area at the moment. I can walk you there or point you in the right direction. It's just right through those doors. All you need to do is sign the visitors log and lock up your personal belongings- it's part of our policy." The blonde said, pointing to a set of double doors that looked like they should have been in a hospital ward, separating different departments.

"Thank you, okay. I'm sure that I can find it on my own." Elena said grabbing the clipboard out of the girls hand, quickly signing Katherine's name on the sheet of paper. Luckily, she had left her purse inside of the car and the only thing she had brought with her was her cell phone that was also once Katherine's. "Thanks again!" Elena shouted over her shoulder as she walked towards the doors and opened them quickly, allowing the breeze from the room to overwhelm her senses, it smelled like cinnamon and lemons, a clean and welcoming smell that gave her goose bumps.

She looked around the room eagerly and once she spotted him, her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. Elena stood up straight, exhaling deeply before she slowly approached the table he was sitting at, all alone.

"Hello Stefan. It's been a while." Elena commented in a soft tone, watching him lift his head up slowly from the magazine that was in his hands, his green eyes growing wide with total shock as she stepped closer and smiled. She was wearing a pair of red high heels, her outfit was a thin strapped, light off white colored dress with the front of it having a deep V neck cut, she had managed to change right after she had called Caroline because even though she figured that he'd probably tell her to leave, at least she could look nice for a moment standing in front of him. The pearl necklace that Stefan had given her a few months earlier was around her neck and the silver bracelet he had purchased for her was shining in the light with every step she took closer towards him.

"Elena?" Stefan said her name in a choking way, his eyes filling to the brim with unshed tears as he pushed his body away from the round table that he was sitting at, his body instantly relaxing at the sight of her. Stefan smiled sincerely as Elena looked at him, shaking her head as she nodded, replying with the only words she could muster at the sight of how broken up he looked in the moment, tears streaming down both their faces. " Stefan, I know that I'm the last person you wanted to see. But, I wanted to see you and I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything that I did to you. Please, Stefan..I know it's going to take a long time to forgive me. But, I'm here because- I'm here because, I love you."

* * *

**A/N: So...What do you all think?! Ugh..Elena making a confession, Caroline and Klaus trying to fix what is left of their marriage...Isobel and Elena's little talk and poor Stefan!**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Fifteen**

_"I'm here because, I love you."_ Her voice shook as she stood her ground in front of him, watching as he wiped his tear filled eyes on the sleeves of his black t-shirt.

He watched as her hands shook, her voice just as equally quivering with fear. Elena wasn't really sure why she had admitted it and in this way..It just came rolling off her lips like a set of tidal waves, consequences ignored. Maybe it was because she finally wanted to tell him what she had been feeling for a few months, what had been building inside of her chest and brewing deep down in her heart. She loved him. Even after everything that they had gone through, after everything that she had put him through- it still remained inside of her, that feeling whenever she'd think about him.

Stefan locked his eyes on her, shaking his head when he finally pushed himself away from the table, getting up and not even looking at her. "You shouldn't be here, Elena." He said firmly, locking his intense gaze on to her, finally after a few minutes of trying to avoid her.

"I know. I shouldn't. But, I heard about what happened to you and I feel responsible for it. That's another reason, I'm here. Stefan...I caused all of this to happen, I'm the reason that you're in here." She said, choking back on the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. She couldn't look at him anymore as she felt his presence in front of her, so she settled her glances on his feet, staring down at his white Nike tennis shoes that he wore.

"This has nothing to do with you. I'm sick and I've been like this way before you came into my life." Stefan admitted to her, taking a step towards Elena, placing his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from touching her. He couldn't touch her, didn't want to touch her because if he did- they'd both break.

"I know, I read it in Katherine's journals. She said that you've struggled. That you've been on this roller coaster of drugs and alcohol since something happened to you. She also said that you don't like to talk about it, you don't like mentioning it to anyone. Look, Stefan. Whatever it is that caused you to be this way- maybe talking to me would help you." Elena suggested, hearing Stefan scoff at her words. He shook his head, frowning a bit as he looked back up at her. "You came here thinking that I would trust you again? I don't know you! I know nothing about you except that you're a fraud, a liar and someone who spent the last few months making me think that I was in love with you, making me think that you were Katherine...But, it was an illusion. So, what makes you think that I would trust you now? Hmm? You coming all the way out here and confessing your love to me? I'm sorry sweetheart, it's pointless, because I don't feel the same way." Stefan told her in a harsh tone, stepping away from her and taking his hands out of his pockets.

Elena watched as he threw a piece of paper on the floor, she saw it fall to the ground and near her feet as Stefan stepped away from her, heading back to his room. She inhaled a deep breath and followed him, quickly picking up her pace and ignoring the paper that she stepped over. Elena looked behind her for a moment though, making sure that no one seemed to noticed when she slipped into his bedroom.

The room was fairly large. A queen sized bed in the middle of it, a brown colored comforter was on the bed as Elena closed the door behind her and looked around his room. There were no windows, just a bed and a small dresser. A light colored desk in the left side corner with a red lamp shining light from it was all he had.

"I know that you don't know me and I'm sorry for doing what I did to you. But, I never thought that I would have feelings for you. I wasn't supposed to get attached to anyone, especially you. You're not mine, your hers and I was never supposed to fall in love with you. I was never supposed to get attached. Because, I never have. My whole life has been spent running from people, from my own past...Before, you found me at the shelter. I was homeless. I was also in an abusive relationship with a man that I thought loved me. But, it turned out that he didn't even love himself enough to let me go. So, I took the little money I had saved up and I ran. I've spent the last four years of my life living on the streets and that night when you found me and took me to your home, thinking I was your wife. For the first time in years, I felt important." Elena explained, hearing Stefan let out a loud sharp intake of breath.

"So, you know what it's like then..To suffer?" Stefan asked, watching Elena nod her head. She knew more than he could ever imagine what it was like. Taking a step into his room and watching as he hesitantly sat on his own bed, noticing when she did the same thing on the other side.

"I was wrong about you, about the things I said earlier. I'm sorry.. I just, I push people away from me when I'm like this because I can't have them watch me fall apart. I'm no good to anyone like this, Elena. Not even myself, that's why you shouldn't be here." Stefan told her again, glancing over at her to see Elena turn her head to look at him. Her intense brown gaze was locked on to his face and his tortured green eyes looked confused when she extended out her hand towards him, across his bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, tilting his head to the side.

"You said that you don't trust me. I want to gain your trust while you're here. So, let's restart our relationship the right way." Elena said, pausing and exhaling deeply as she gazed over to see Stefan's hand touch hers, their palms were touching, fingers tightly fastened against each other's hands.

"Okay. So, how are we going to do that?" Stefan asked, still holding on to her hand as Elena smiled a shy and sweet smile at him.

"I'm going to make you a promise. I'll be here, everyday, even on the days you want to push me away. I will be here for you, because I care about you, Stefan. I'll be here until you trust me and I'll help you through all of this. We'll do it together and we'll get to know each other too. But, once you leave the rehab center. It'll be up to you to decide where you want our relationship to go." She explained to him, watching as he blinked at her, firmly gripping her hand and shaking on the agreement as he swallowed down his words and only replying with a soft. "Okay, you've got a deal. But, you have to be here, everyday. I won't be waiting around for you, if you don't show up."

Elena smiled softly, releasing her grip from his hand and swinging her legs off his bed. She slowly slide off the comforter and straightened out her dress once she stood up straight and got back on her feet. Stefan watched as Elena looked back at him, a serious look appearing on her face as she confirmed in agreement. "Every day until you leave here and until we know everything there is to know about each other. I promise, then you can decide if you still want me in your life or not."

* * *

"I can't believe that you told her!" Isobel bellowed as the door swung shut and Katherine followed closely behind her, watching as her mother gave her a displeased and nearly disgusted look.

"What other choice did I have. She thought that Ethan was Stefan's! Mother, we both know that's a lie. Look, I might have done a lot of bad things in my life and falling in love with a man that I had only met a few times was certainly one of them. I was just newly married to Stefan when I first met him. I never thought that I'd fall for Mason Lockwood as hard as I did. But, Stefan and I were drifting apart and things weren't okay with us. So, one night it all came to a boiling point." Katherine explained, her voice trailing off, the words getting stuck in her throat as she looked up at Isobel and locked her brown eyes on to her.

"You've cheated on him for years and that poor man has been nothing but loyal to you! Katherine, why did you marry Stefan in the first place. Hmm, it wasn't to help your Aunt Jenna. Was it?" Isobel asked her, taking a step closer towards her daughter as she watched Katherine's eyelashes dampen, while she nodded her head.

"Yeah, in beginning it was to help Jenna. But, Stefan's always been more interested in me than I've been in him. He was the one pursuing me while we worked together and to be honest, I liked it. I loved the attention he gave me. So, I lead him on until he fell in love with me and when he asked me to marry him, I just thought it would work with us. Just like Mason did to me that night at the hotel, leading me on until I felt something that I knew I wasn't supposed too... We were just friends, Just like Elijah and I were in the beginning...We were never supposed to be more than that..." Katherine's voice trailed off as she closed her eyes and remembered the night's events that had lead up to the torrid affair that had changed her life...

_"Fine, then. You know what? You can go to hell, Stefan! I didn't even want to come to this stupid convention with you and you dragged me here. Who would have known that you would have ended up drunk and passed out in the bathroom. I'm sick of taking care of you, I'm sick of being your babysitter. So, I'm done. I'm calling a cab in the morning and taking the first flight back home!" She shouted from across the room, opening the door to their hotel room and walking out into the hall to get some air._

_The buzzing feeling of the alcohol she had consumed after she had found her husband, face down in his own vomit was enough to make her angry. Katherine's blood seethed with annoyance and irritation. She was at her wits end with him and tonight was it, the night she was going to leave him to suffer in his own misery and maybe even go back to Elijah to mend her broken heart. But, a voice at the end of the hall as she walked out of the room and towards the lobby, heading back to the bathrooms so that she could pick up the things Stefan has left in there- stopped her from moving any further._

_"You know, he's a mess. He always has been. He can't help himself, Katherine. I know that for a fact, I've seen him struggle and it's never pretty. He's bringing you down. Your drowning right along with him." The man commented, pushing himself away from the wall that he had been leaning against. His dark red t-shirt smelling like smoke as he approached her which in turn caused Katherine to crinkle her nose at him._

_"What do you want, Mason? Listen, whatever Stefan and I are going through..It's none of your business. I know how to handle my husband and he just needs some rest. So, I helped him to our room, came back down here to grab his phone that he left behind." She explained, watching as Mason took a few steps closer, examining her tired looking expression._

_"You've always been a pretty bad liar. I've seen you standing next to him as they praise him for all the achievements for Dasells. You've never looked happy though. Not once while you stood next to him or while you spoke about him in front of the camera's. Tell me, Katherine. What would make you, happy?" Mason asked her in a voice just above a whisper, licking his lips as he scanned her body with his desire filled eyes._

_Katherine looked around the hallway. There were barely any people walking by them as she watched Mason, stand in front of her, pushing her up against the wall. "Tell me." He whispered against her ear, a seductive tone in his voice as the heat from his mouth escaped and Katherine inhaled a sharp breath. He smell like a mixture of three things. Smoke, vodka on his breath and danger..He was dangerous and part of her liked it. The mystery that he brought along with him as they slowly began to build their relationship on what she felt was mixture of truths and unspoken secrets was what made Katherine want to get to know him more every time they'd end up in a hotel like this._

_" I want to be free of him. Just for one night, I don't want to worry anymore about my husband." Katherine confessed in a soft tone, feeling as Mason's hand lifted up the hem of her shirt, stroking her stomach softly with his fingertips._

_"What if I told you, I could give you that. Just for a while..I could give you the freedom you crave. All you have to do is say the word and I'll show you everything your heart desires." He told her, kissing her neck with a frantic plea in his voice, causing Katherine's eyes to flutter shut._

_With her head leaning back against the wall, Mason pulled her closer to his body. It had been the fourth time since they had seen each other at conventions like this. But, she had tried her best to remain loyal to Stefan, to not fall under the spell that Mason was creating around her, until now. She was crumbling, breaking under his touch and she couldn't fight it anymore._

_Katherine's heart was pounding inside of her chest as she felt his hand slowly move up her shirt, his fingers brushing against her bra when she opened her eyes and locked them on his hunger filled gaze. He wanted her, all of her and she could see it in his eyes. Maybe it was just the alcohol or maybe it really was the allure of him that intrigued her and caused her to finally say what Mason had been waiting on. But, whatever the reason was. Once Katherine agreed, she knew that there was no going back. She felt him push himself away from her, a smile lingering on his face when she locked her brown darkened glance on him and finally said. "I'll probably regret ever saying this in the morning. But...here's to tonight. So, take me wherever you want. Because, right now. I'm not his anymore. I'm all yours."_

* * *

**A/N: Hm...Mason was trouble and Katherine was easily falling under his spell! And what about Elena and Stefan..Starting over their relationship...Hopefully, it will give them a clean slate. ;)**

**Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. Love hearing your thoughts.**

**Until next time!**

 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Sixteen**

"You came." He said, smiling even wider when she placed a bag of what he could tell were bagels on the white colored table that he sat at. It had been two weeks since their agreement and she had been coming to see him at exactly 8am sharp- every morning.

"I brought food for you and coffee for myself." Elena commented, leaning forward and handing Stefan the bag, their hands grazing against each for a just a brief moment. Her brown eyes looked away from him as he stroked her hand with his thumb for what seemed like two minutes too long.

"Stefan..." She said, her voice become hoarse- breaking a little when he took his hand away. It was like his name got stuck in her throat, causing her to look at him directly, their eyes lock on each others.

"Elena, you've been coming here for the last two weeks and you don't let me touch you. You don't even keep eye contact with me for very long. Elena…I miss you, the smell and feel of your skin under my fingertips, the taste of your lips against my own. I miss you like I've never missed anyone before." Stefan confessed, moving his chair so that it was closer to Elena's when she finally sat down beside him.

"We...we're friends, you and I. You're my friend, Stefan. And, I love spending time with you. But, you're still married to my sister. And, you and I...We'd never work. You come from money and I...I don't. I wouldn't survive in your world if we were together." Elena reminded him.

"You wouldn't survive in _my world_? I could easily disagree with you on that one. Because, from what I had seen. You handled things better than Katherine." Stefan said, leaning back into his seat and closing his eyes. He sat silent for a moment, remembering the night that they had gone out, cameras flashing in their eyes, paparazzi pushing them in the a hotel building as they swarmed around him and Elena, asking questions that neither of them wanted to answer.

Stefan's protective arm was placed gently on the small of her back, pulling her into the well lit and quiet lobby of the hotel that they passed by. She had watched him scan the room, his eyes locking on a white door with a red exit sign door that instantly had caught his attention while he looked around the room to make sure that none of the media had really followed them inside. Although, Stefan knew that they needed to lose the paparazzi because all of their questions were causing his head to want to explode and he could tell that she wasn't fairing any better with their excessive need to know everything.

_"Did we lose them?" She asked with a laugh as Stefan pulled her out the exit door. Elena watched him close the door and exhale out a breath. She smiled at how handsome he looked, sleeves rolled up past his wrists, a nice pressed gray shirt covering his toned and tan skin with dark blue jeans that she thought made his ass look good ._

_Elena sighed, leaning her head back against the cool red bricks behind them as she watched Stefan approach her, a smile still lingering on his face._

_"I think we did. So, I was thinking...Since they can't see us..." Stefan began to say, his hands slowly running up and down the black fabric of her cotton dress that hugged her body perfectly. He loved the feeling of it under his hands, the way she squirmed a bit when he touched her, biting down on her lower lip nervously. Yet, still raising her hand just a bit to touch his soft cheeks. She couldn't not want to touch him, the lust in his eyes was evident as he licked his lips and leaned forward, pushing a strand of Elena's curly hair behind her shoulder, his hands gently gliding across her skin as if he was afraid she'd break by his one simple gesture._

_Stefan leaned into her, leaving his hot breath dancing across her skin, setting it on fire as he left a few kisses against her neck, licking and nibbling on her soft flesh when Elena turned her head, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer towards her. She pressed her back to the wall, moaning a little into his ears as he took his other hand and slide it down against her bare thighs. "The things I would do to you if we were home right now..." His voice trailed off when he spoke against her. He could feel her body tense a little, her eyes open as she leaned her to him and leaned towards his ear._

_"Hm..Who said we'd have to wait until we got home?" She asked him in a teasing tone, her voice becoming laced with need, want for him. It had only been a month since she had been living as Katherine and yet, it became hard to separate herself from the conflicted feelings she had towards him...Her sister's husband._

_All of it shattered though when he uttered Katherine's name upon his lips. Elena smiled with a locked jaw, a fake and forced smirk tugging across her lips as he laughed and nodded at her words. If only they were being honest with each other, things wouldn't be this hard she thought for a moment. She wouldn't have to pretend and try hard to not have feelings that didn't seem to dissipate for a man that was married…For a man that she was loving being around._

_Elena leaned her head back against the bricks once more, eyes shut tightly as she bite down on her lower lip when Stefan's rough and warm hand slide underneath her black dress, hiking it up a little past her knees. Elena was intoxicated by him, the feeling of his warm hands and wet lips on her skin drove her crazy. She wanted him, all of him and yet, there was one problem…Neither of them was being honest with each other._

_Stefan's hands slide under her dress more, a light touch tracing against the waistband of her red under garments. "Stefan, it's an alley way...People could see us." Elena said in a hoarse and barely there tone. Her voice was rough, forcing it's self out of her mouth. She was trying to protest. But, his hands on her body, caressing her and arousing her were causing all of her words and thoughts to become jumbled._

_"Katherine, no one's here...Besides, we should give the magazines a little something to talk about. They think we don't have a sex life at all." Stefan said, pausing for a moment and removed his hand from underneath her dress, lifting his hands from her body as he stepped away to take in her face._

_"What?" Elena questioned, trying hard to not laugh at how serious he sounded._

_"Oh come on. Everyone seems to be worried that we're divorcing or something. Because, you're not pregnant yet. They must think that something is wrong with me." Stefan commented, running his hands through his hair as he inhaled through gritted teeth._

_"You want to give them something to talk about? The tabloids...Seriously? Like me being back here isn't enough?" Elena asked him, smiling a little as she heard footsteps approaching, the sound of a group of people walking by them, loud and hurried voices that carried down the deserted alley._

_"Well, something good at least. All they've been reporting on about lately is how since you've been back that we have problems, how Damon's taking over of Dasells is causing our business to go down. Nothing really worth reading." Stefan said, watching the brown in Elena's eyes glisten just a bit. It's like she has tuned him out and was listening to the footsteps approaching them as they both stood underneath a well lit street lamp. Her body was still pressed against the wall as she took a step towards him, her hands pulling him closer towards her by the collar of his shirt._

_"I think they found us." Elena whispered, looking past Stefan and towards the street, the same swarm of media with their camera's drawn towards them came quickly as Elena leaned her head back towards the bricks, watching Stefan lean towards her, whispering into her ear right before he left a passionate kiss upon her lips. "This is nowhere near done, yet."_

The memory of that night faded when Stefan's voice broke the comfortable silence between them. "You remember that night when you and I tried to go out and the paparazzi found us?" Stefan asked her, watching Elena nod. Taking a sip of her coffee and placing her hands against the table that they sat at. She remembered it well, if the cameras hadn't been flashing in front of them. She would have lost control with him as he pushed her up against the wall, his hands against her thighs. One of her legs wrapped slightly around him as they both turned towards the camera with wonder struck gazes, grinning

"Of course I do. You were so sure that I was Katherine that you didn't hesitate with anything for a second. We even made the headlines, clearing up all those pesky divorce rumors." Elena said, smiling.

"I want you to know that even though you deceived me that I…I still wanted you all for myself, like I want you now and -." Stefan began to say, swallowing the saliva in his throat that was causing his voice to break a bit. She was beautiful to him, even if she looked completely identical to Katherine, there were differences that he could see now that he had finally gotten the chance to sit down with her and talk. Stefan could see the differences between the sisters clearly.

His wife was a lot rougher around the edges, a lot more sneaky and manipulative than her sister. Elena on the other hand, didn't really have a bad bone in her body and she was protective of people she cared for. Because of this little bit of information that he picked up on. Stefan thought maybe that's one of the reason's why she had been showing up at the clinic for the last two weeks without fail, bringing him coffee and asking about his day. Or, it could have been because without wanting to admit it- She was just as broken as he was and she needed someone to just coexist with, without having them question too much of her painful past.

"Stefan..you barely know me...We're friends..." She repeated again, feeling as he leaned forward and placed his hand on top of her kneecap, a lust and longing filled look filling his forest green eyes when he licked his lips and smiled at her, struggling to find the right words.

"I know. But, whenever you leave here. I can't stop thinking about you, I can't stop picturing you beside me. It isn't Katherine that I want, Elena. It's you. Look, I know that we still have a long ways to go before we even get to the point of whatever this is. But, I want you to know that this- whatever this is…There's something here between us. I feel it, every time that I'm around you, I feel it." Stefan confessed, watching as Elena lifted up her hand and placed it on top of his, her brown eyes shining at the thought of him finally realizing what she had been feeling for a long while now. There really was some sort of connection that they shared and it was stronger than anything she had ever felt with anyone she had ever been with.

"I know that I'm still legally married to Katherine. But, Elena…Once I get out of here in a few months I'm going to divorce her. I can't be with a woman who was everyone else's except for mine." Stefan declared in a confident tone, watching as Elena's hand slipped off of his and she placed a few strands of her hair behind her ears.

"Stefan…" She began to say again, her voice trailing off when he leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Come with me."

He watched as she gave him a confused look, backing away just a bit as she smiled. "Where?"

"You'll see." Stefan replied softly, getting up from his seat briskly and extending out his hands towards her. Elena watched hesitantly for a long moment, Stefan's hands were shaking in front of her face as she inhaled through gritted teeth. "We're just friends." She said again, getting a loud thunderous laugh out of him as he shook his head. "I know, you've reminded me of that like 10 times already. So, as my friend…Come with me because I want to spend more time with you."

* * *

The bag that she had brought him was empty and full of crumbs; her coffee had gone cold hours ago as they sat outside and watched the yellow and orange fish in the small pond swim around the fountain that was behind the building. Elena was so focused on the water that she barely even felt it or heard him as he leaned forward and placed his hand onto the small of her back, making small circles against the white fabric of her dress.

"I'm falling in love with you." He suddenly blurted out, causing her head to snap up from the lock she had on the fountain. Stefan smiled as he watched Elena's face turn red, the heat from her face was more than enough to tell him that she was shocked and a bit taken back by his words.

"What?" She asked in a surprised tone, pulling back from him for a moment, her eyes secured on his face. He was smiling, wider than he was before when he had first seen her walk into the clinic with the food that she had brought him.

"I said that I'm-." Stefan tried to clarify, watching Elena blink her curled and darkened mascara covered eye lashes at him, pulling her hair over to one side of her shoulder in a nervous way.

"I know what you said. I heard you very clearly. But, Stefan…you're married. To my sister of all people. You can't love me when you're still married to her." Elena commented, letting out a small laugh as she watched him move closer towards her, placing his hand onto her cheek so that she was forced to look at him.

Stefan smiled when Elena closed her eyes to his touch, her breath becoming staggered when he leaned forward. Their lips were just centimeters away from each others. He could feel the coolness of her breath against his own skin as he moved closer, whispering against her lips. "It doesn't matter because not even Katherine could rip me away from you. I'm falling in love with you and I know you feel the same way. This isn't going away. I've tried to think it through, to not feel this way. But, I can't help it. I love you because you are nothing like her. I love you, Elena. I love you." Stefan admitted, his thumb stroking her cheek as he leaned back a little to take in her face.

There were unshed tears in her eyes, glossing over the brown in her irises as she nodded, inhaling through gritted teeth when she smiled at him. She could feel the same intense electricity that she had felt before when she was with him as she pretended to be her sister. Elena felt Stefan's hand slide down so that it was behind her neck, underneath her hair, gently caressing her skin.

"I know that we still have a lot to learn about each other..I don't even know your favorite color yet. But, I wanted you to know how I've been feeling." Stefan said with a small laugh, taking his thumb and wiping away her tears as they began to fall down her cheeks.

"I'm not supposed to love you..I'm not supposed to feel this way about a man that's married to another woman. But-." Elena started to explain. She was rambling, avoiding and trying to process what Stefan had just confessed. Her mind was spinning with things that they still didn't know about each other, things that they still had to discuss. But, all of her thoughts were silenced when Stefan leaned towards her again, his hands on each side of her face this time, grinning as she tilted her head just a bit, closing her eyes when she felt his lips against hers.

The taste of his lips, the heat of his hands against her face, pulling her closer towards him was enough to make her heart race. She could feel her pulse quickened as his tongue teased hers, her hands firmly pressed against his face were now sliding down his chest. Stefan deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer to him, kissing her hungrily and not even caring that there may have been people watching them, mostly the clinic workers. He didn't care at all because all that mattered in the moment was Elena, was being in this moment with her and making a confession- one that would change both of their lives and take their relationship to a whole new level.

Stefan could feel her pull back to allow them both to catch their breathes. Yet, his hands still remained on Elena's cheeks as he leaned forward again and left a soft kiss upon her perfectly shaped lips. "It doesn't matter because I'm starting over…With you." Stefan said, stroking her flesh as Elena closed her eyes again, smiling.

"My favorite color is green. Like your eyes." She replied with a small laugh, hearing Stefan let out a chuckle, nodding.

Stefan signed, taking his hands away from her face and placing it between them on the bench that they sat on as he watched Elena do the same. "So, what's going to happen now?" She asked him, glancing down at his hand. She quickly noticed that he wasn't even wearing his wedding ring anymore. The band that signified his strong bond with Katherine was nowhere to even be seen, since she had been visiting him.

"I don't know. But, I do know that whatever happens that we'll get through it and I'm not going to give you up without a fight." Stefan commented, his hand inching towards Elena's. He watched as she looked down at his hand and watched him smile at her. Elena gently intertwined their fingers together as she placed her head on to his shoulder. "Neither am I." She commented softly, looking out towards the fountain and watching as the water cascaded down the brown and grayish looking fountain, enjoying the small silence between them as they sat hand in hand, preparing themselves for whatever was to come.

* * *

"I don't think that I can marry him, Nik." Rebekah commented, leaning her elbows against the counter top on the kitchen. Klaus watched as she picked up the glass of cold ice water in front of her and took a long sip from it.

He had been listening to Rebekah talk about all the reasons why she couldn't picture herself marrying Damon. And, after the first hour of her nearly talking about all the negative things. He was sick and tired of it and had been trying to convince her of all the good things they had going on with each other.

"Rebekah, he loves you more than you know. He's a good man. Which, is hard to find and marriage isn't easy. You have to work at it a lot and you have to make sure that both of you are happy. And, when you have kids...It's not really about you anymore. It's about them and the family as a whole." Klaus commented, throwing down a red colored cloth napkin in front of his empty plate, frustration creeping up inside of his body. He hadn't seen Caroline in a few days and it felt as if he hadn't seen Sarah even longer than that and he hated it. Missing them like crazy wasn't making things easier either. However, Klaus knew that he had to remind himself that until Caroline kept her word about being honest as to who Sarah's father truly was that they'd have to continue to go on like they were- living without each other. Even if it was tearing them both apart to be separated.

"Like you and Caroline?" She questioned, shaking her head as Klaus cleared his throat, nodding.

"Caroline and I…We're having a rough patch. But, we're trying to work on it. For the sake of Sarah and our marriage." He commented in a confident tone, smiling as his sister walked over to sit next to him. Klaus watched as Rebekah took a seat across from him, swinging her legs towards her older brother.

"You'll work things out with her. She's the love of your life, the mother to your daughter. Believe me, Caroline is the best thing that ever happened to you and you'd both be idiots to screw that up." Rebekah said with a knowing smile, watching as Klaus looked down at his wedding band, a small uneasy grin appearing at the sound of just hearing his wife's name.

"I know that she cheated on me, Rebekah. But, I love her. I love her so much and I don't want us to fall apart." He admitted, watching as his sister nodded, squeezing his hand that was on the table that they both sat at.

"I know that you do, Klaus and I'm sure that she feels the same way. So, once this passes and you're both living together again. You'll have time to repair everything. You two just need to talk more." Rebekah suggested, feeling as Klaus released the grip he had on her hand and observed her sudden nervousness.

"Like you and Damon? Because, if you don't tell him what's really going on with you, little sister. I will." He warned her, watching his sister nod, pushing a strand of her pin straight hair behind her ears, opening her mouth to respond. But, just when she tried to add more, Damon walked into the kitchen.

He was dressed in a suit, eyes wide eyed and shining as he walked behind her, leaving a quick kiss against Rebekah's temple. "Good morning, beautiful. Sleep well?" He asked her. Damon watched for a moment as Klaus got up, leaning forward and whispering into his sister's ear, something that he could barely hear.

"What's going on?" Damon asked them, looking over from Klaus to Rebekah. Klaus was already half out of the kitchen, near the patio doors about to head out the door when Rebekah suddenly blurted out. "I don't think I can marry you!"

It was like everything happened in slow motion as Damon took a step away from his fiancé, staring at her like she had just said she had stole millions of dollars from the family business or something. "What did you just say?" Damon asked her with a laugh, tilting his head to the side as he watched Rebekah get up from her chair and walk towards him.

She placed her hands on to his chest, her blue eyes were studying his face as he licked his lips and he stared at her, curiosity in his eyes as he gently touched her face with his hand. "I'm sorry, Damon. But, I can't marry you." Rebekah repeated one more, tears welling up into her eyes as she pivoted on her heels and ran out of the kitchen without another word. Leaving Damon reeling with her confess. Damon carefully turned to see Klaus rubbing his hands vigorously against face.

"Did you know about this? The wedding is in a few months. We talked about it last night and she was telling me who she wants to invite! What the hell is going on, Klaus? Why does she have cold feet all of the sudden? What is it!" Damon bellowed, pushing himself away from the kitchen counter that he was now leaning against.

"Damon." Klaus began to say, watching him shut his eyes tightly, exhaling a deep breath and watching as Rebekah's brother made his way towards him.

"What is she not telling me!" Damon commented in an angered tone, feeling as Klaus placed his hands onto his shoulder, forcing the eldest Salvatore to take a seat and get off his wobbly legs.

"She…um….She's freaking out about everything because she's-." Klaus began to say, walking over to the other side of the table, locking his eyes on his sister's fiancé. The man looked sick to his stomach and annoyed, saddened by his fiancé's words. Because, he loved her. Damon, really loved her and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with the soon to be Mrs. Rebekah Salvatore in a blissful union. However, these last few weeks were driving him crazy. She had been secretive, and was spending a lot more time than usually with her two older brothers. A lot more than Damon knew Rebekah liked. Also there were her mood swings and constant crying out of nowhere.

"She's told you and Elijah nearly everything these last two weeks. Since my brother left for rehab, I feel like she hasn't been talking to me very much. So, tell me, Klaus. Be honest with me, why is she saying that she doesn't want to marry me when last night she was telling me that she can't wait to get married. I'm pushing her into being my wife..I bet that's it. That's why she's been distant and secretive." Damon explained. His head was hurting from Rebekah giving him such conflicting messages these last few days. Yet, he thought that maybe her mood swings were all because she was stressed out with all the things that her family and brother's were going through or maybe it really was him. Maybe they were really rushing into things. Damon thought as he looked around the room and then set his glances back on to Klaus.

Damon watched as Klaus ran his hands through his hair this time and smiled up at him, looking down at his feet briefly and then back up at Damon as he said with a sharp and precise tone. "She's pregnant, Damon. She's freaking out about everything because, she's pregnant and you're going to be a dad. I thought you knew."

Damon swallowed his words, shaking his head as he looked up at Klaus and smiled widely.

"No, I had no idea. She never once mentioned it." Damon revealed as he stepped out of the kitchen and towards where Rebekah had ran off to, pausing for a moment when he turned back towards Klaus and added. "I need to go talk to her and convince her that even if she's pregnant that getting married would be the best thing for us. I love her, Klaus. I really love her and I want her to be my wife no matter what."

* * *

**A/N: Oh the confessions! :) So, Rebekah being pregnant will definitely change things for her and Damon's relationship. Also, what about Stefan finally kissing and admitting to Elena that he's loves her!? :') Stefan really needs to divorce Katherine or maybe come face to face with her at least. ;)**


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Seventeen**

"Rebekah, let's talk about this." Damon urged, walking into the bedroom as she sat on the bed, crying in to her hands- her whole body was trembling.

"There is nothing to say, Damon! Nothing to talk about, I already said everything you should know!" She screamed at him, pushing herself up from the bed and turning away from him as she felt Damon's firm grip pulling her against his chest when she turned in his arms, sobbing even more.

"I can't be your wife..I don't know how to be someone's wife.…Damon… I can't be a mother either…I'm pregnant and I feel nothing, no attachment yet to this baby! What does that say about me? I'm a horrible person, that's what it says, I shouldn't even be a mother." Rebekah sobbed, burying her tear stained face into the curve of Damon's neck as his arm's embraced her, slowly soothing her with his hands on her back,moving them up and down.

"Yes, you can and you will be an amazing mom. We can do this together. I'm not going to leave you. I love you, Rebekah. We'll figure it all out, I promise. We'll do it together." He said in a reassuring tone, closing his eyes and exhaling deeply as he held her still in his arms, feeling her body relax just a bit.

"Why are you so scared of letting us be happy?" Damon asked her, suddenly, running his hands through her light blonde and wavy hair. He could hear her sniffle, pushing back from him as she looked at his face with watery blue eyes.

"It's not that I don't love you, Damon. Because, I do. I..just- I'm afraid of breaking my sobriety like Stefan. I'm afraid of slipping up and hurting the baby. I'm scared of messing things up like I usually do and like I've done before in the past. I'm a drug addict, Damon. You know that. But, what you don't know is that your brother and I used to be together while we were at the clinic, that's how I met him." She confessed, clutching on to Damon's shoulder as her legs gave out and she slowly dropped to the floor, crying even harder.

Damon bent down with her, pulling her against his chest as he exhaled out a breath, placing his chin on top of her head after kissing the top it. "I had a feeling about you and Stefan being together during that time. But, I never asked you because it doesn't matter now. Rebekah, you and Stefan had a connection through a rough time. I understand that. But, sweetie, what you had with Stefan is in the past and I want you to know that you can do this. We can do this and I'm going to make sure that you end up being okay… Because, we're together now and I refuse to give up on you..." His voice trailed off, tightening his grip against her as she slide into his lap, arms wrapped around his neck.

"I wish I would have told you when I first met you. Then, you would have been able to make a better choice of not being with me..Damon..I don't deserve you. Why would someone even want to marry me? A woman who does nothing but depend on you for things. All, I've done for myself is trying to make sure that I don't screw this relationship up. But, I can't even do that correctly." She cried, watching with red and puffy eyes as Damon leaned forward a bit, his thumb wiping away her falling tears as she sniffles the rest back and smiled at him.

"Why do you love me so much, Damon? Why are you even still with me?" Rebekah questioned, watching as Damon placed his arm around her back, his hand making small comforting circles on her skin when she exhaled out a breath.

"I love you because you're amazing and you don't even see it. I love that you understand me like no one else does. Words like 'I don't deserve you' annoy the hell out of me coming from you though. Because, you and I both know that we're a good match. I love you, Rebekah and I'm not going to allow you to mess up because I'll be there every step of the way. I'm not leaving you, no matter how hard you try to push me away. I'm going to be by your side and I'll help you. I know that you still struggle with your urges. But, we'll fight this and we're going to have a healthy and happy baby, no matter what you say." Damon told Rebekah, leaning towards her and kissing her forehead as Rebekah leaned towards him and inhaled through gritted teeth.

"Okay." She whispered softly, opening her eyes and locking her blue gaze upon Damon. Holding on to him as she buried her face in to the curve of his neck again, feeling when Damon tightly held her in his arms when he whispered. "I love you so much and you have nothing to worry about. I promise.

* * *

"Open the damn door, Alex!" Caroline shouted, pounding on it as she took a step back when Alex finally opened the door, his eyes were sleep filled. A pair of black boxer shorts on his body with a thin white cotton t-shirt, his hair a mess- looking as if he had just gotten up.

"Caroline, what a surprise! So, you here for some special treatment?" Alex asked her in a cocky tone, taking a step towards Caroline as she rolled her eyes, placing her hands on to her hips, bunching up the fabric to her light orange colored Stella McCartney dress, a cream colored jacket covering her arms when she ran her hands through her straight and flattened blonde hair.

"She isn't your daughter, Alex. I did the math and I'm 100 % sure that my little girl, isn't yours!" Caroline told him in a stern tone, hearing Alex let out an abrupt loud laugh that projected throughout the apartment building corridor.

"Ha, you did the math? Oh, my sweet Caroline. If I remember correctly, you and I were sleeping together when Klaus and you were broken up- and it wasn't just the one time that it happened…" Alex commented, watching Caroline take a step towards him, her blue eyes looking as threatening as she could make them, filled with anger and hatred for the man standing in front of her and for herself. She hated what she had done with him, sleeping with him was the biggest mistake of her life and now, she had to deal with the fall out from what she thought had been her long ago, buried little secret.

Caroline's voice was low, a hatred filling her tone when she locked her eyes on to him and spat out. "I made a mistake with you! But, I will never do that again. Because, I love my husband and I want to fix everything that I screwed up. And, whatever you and I had back then- wasn't even worth it. You aren't worth my marriage crumbling and you're not worth my time now. And, I see it now, clearly. My biggest regret, was the day that I set my eyes on you."

"It's unfortunate that things aren't working out for you and Klaus. I hope you resolve your problems. Now, back to my original question. If you're so eager in fixing your marriage with your husband and I'm such a damn mistake. What are you even doing here at my apartment on the shitty side of town? Don't you have more important things to do?" Alex asked her with a smirk, the same cocky sound escaping past his mouth- hearing Caroline exhale out an irritated sigh.

"I know that I'm right about Sarah not being yours. But, I need your help in proving it. I need you to come down to the paternity testing center in downtown Chicago with me. So that we can prove that you're not Sarah's father once in for all and I can go back to fixing what I messed up." Caroline said, opening her Marc Jacobs beige tote and pulling out her check book.

"You want to pay me off with money...because?" Alex asked her in a confessed tone, tilting his head to the side and watching as Caroline opened up her check book up, writing out his name in perfect cursive and signing it with the amount of $5,500 dollars.

"No, Alex. It's not really paying you off. It's more like my way of making sure you keep your mouth shut and don't go squealing to the media about me cheating on my husband. No one needs to know about what happened between me and you, even though it happened years ago and it did for a matter of fact only happen once! This secret could ruin and potentially destroy Klaus's career and mine. So, is this amount sufficient enough to keep you from squawking like a little bird to any news reporter that would want to find out dirt on my husband and I in case any of this ever came out?" She asked him, ripping off the check and placing it against his chest, face down.

Caroline watched as he took the check into his hands and his blue eyes widened. "Uhh…Caroline. Of course. But, won't your husband find out about this money just randomly disappearing from your joint account?" Alex asked her, looking back up at her as Caroline placed her check book back into her purse, inhaling deeply when she shook her head.

"No. It's an offshore account from my business and it can go seemingly undetected. It's like our emergency fund in case anything happens. And, Klaus and I don't have joint bank accounts- never have." Caroline said, looking Alex up and down and clearing her throat.

"Now, one last thing." She said, snapping her fingers as Alex smiled at her, leaning against the door frame to his apartment when he watched Caroline take another step towards him. "Get dressed and let's get this done. Because, after today. I never want to see you again and if I hear anything around the rumor mill about my family. I will know that it came from you. Remember, Alex. I'm not the same young and naive girl I was back when I stupidly fell under your spell. I can make your life miserable if I find out that you spoke to anyone. So, take my advice. We get this done today and then, we go our separate ways for good. You move out of this shit hole, you disappear out of my life and go on, fixing things with my husband. Because, he is the love of my life and I hurt him badly all because of one stupid night with you! Do I make myself clear?" She asked him, hearing Alex clear his throat as he gave her another smile, stepping backwards into his apartment that smelled like stale cigarettes and cheap beer.

"Crystal clear. No contact with you after today. But, Caroline..What's going to happen if it turns out that she's mine, have you thought about that?" Alex asked, running his hands through his greasy looking hair.

Caroline held her breath, closing her eyes and trying to prevent herself from not gagging as she bite down on her lower lip before she said in a confident tone. "She's not. I'm 100 percent positive that Sarah isn't yours. But, if she is…I still don't want you to be involved in any part of her life at all and I will go one raising her with Klaus or without him."

* * *

"Favorite movie?" Stefan asked Elena as they laid down on a thin dark blue colored blanket in the grass, looking up at the blue sky, watching the white fluffy clouds pass above them.

"This is silly." Elena commented, turning on her side to look up at Stefan as he smiled at her, turning his head to catch her gaze.

"No, it isn't. Now, finally after two weeks, the lady at the front desk doesn't think that you're Katherine and she actually knows your name. I mean, I can still see the suspiciousness in her eyes whenever she see's you coming to visit me. But, she doesn't ask any questions. So, come on. Humor me. Favorite movie, Elena?" Stefan commented, asking her the same question that he'd been trying to pry out of her in the last six minutes that they had been laying down on the blanket together.

"The Painted Veil." Elena remarked, watching Stefan nod at her, grinning.

"What's it about?" He asked her, licking his lips as Elena shook her head.

"This is lame. You're more of an action movie kind of guy and you want me to talk about my favorite movie that's a drama filled romance?" Elena asked him, watching Stefan nod, grabbing a hold of her hand and squeezing it tightly.

"Yeah, actually I do. Because, we agreed that we'd get to know each other. So, I want to know everything about you that you want to tell me." Stefan commented, watching as Elena gave him a soft smile and exhaled out a breath.

"Surely not everything. Stefan, if I told you everything about me. There would be no surprises left if we eventually got together and became more than whatever this is." Elena told him, interlacing their fingers together as she pulled him towards her and placed his hand on to her stomach.

"Oh, I'm sure there would still be surprises. I like surprises and knowing things though." Stefan replied, watching Elena crinkle her nose at him, and laugh a little.

"Fine. So, if you like surprises and being spontaneous. What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for someone or the most spontaneous?" She asked him, hearing Stefan let out a heavy breath as a huge smile appeared on his face and he turned to lock his gaze on her.

"That night that I took you into the limo and to the hotel room..That's the most romantic thing that I've done thus far for someone I care about." He recalled. Elena watched as Stefan sat up first, letting go of her hand. She still laid down on the ground, smiling at him as she too recalled that night. It was perfectly executed and well thought out...It really had been romantic.

"Seriously?" Elena asked him, watching as he got up fully, a mischievous look in his facial expression and a glint in his green eyes as he smiled at her and extended out his hand.

"Yeah. So, quick question. How do you feel about being spontaneous?" He asked her, watching as her eyes sparkled at him and she gave him a wide smile.

"Being spontaneous here? Wouldn't we get caught or seen by someone?" Elena asked in a questionable tone, hearing Stefan let out a laugh as he watched her take his hands into her own, pulling herself up and off the ground.

"That's the fun of it all." He whispered against her ear as a smile formed even bigger on her face and he pulled her back inside of the building with him.

* * *

Elena felt her heart pounding, blood rushing quickly through her body as they made their way casually into the hallway. But, just as they took a few steps down the long and quiet hallway, Stefan pulled her in another direction- a darkened room that looked like it hadn't been used in years.

She could feel him let go of her hand as he turned her body against the door, pushing her roughly against it and closing it shut. Elena then heard Stefan's hand lock it as it finally shut all the way and he leaned into her.

"Stefan, what are we doing in here. I thought you were joking around..You weren't though, were you?" Elena asked him with a small laugh, her hands placed around the waistband of his dark blue jeans.

" Not. At. All. I'm being spontaneous with you." He said, placing one of his hands flatly against the door, just above her head as Elena locked her eyes on to him when she felt his other hand move towards her chin, his fingertips tracing her jaw line before he leaned into her and kissed her roughly enough that a moan escaped past her lips. Stefan could hear her breathing pick up when she pulled back, Elena's head hit the door just a bit as she inhaled a breath and locked her eyes on to him ,a hunger filling inside of her when she tried to speak. But, Stefan took another step towards her, one that nearly molded their bodies together, pushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear and leaning down towards her ears when he whispered in a seductive tone that sent shivers down Elena's spine. "You're beautiful, Elena. Everything about you is alluring and I could kiss you, touch you and make love to you all the time."

Elena closed her eyes as she felt his lips against her skin, a heavy breath leaving her lungs as she slowly gave into him, the kisses he left on her neck, his palms sweating just a bit as his hands lifted up her dress and she spoke to him a breathy tone. "You're good. Really good. But, Stefan we can get caught being in here like this." She pointed out with a small laugh, locking her eyes on the top of his head as he pushed back, smiling and licking his lips.

Stefan's forest green eyes were darkened with desire; his breath was hot and warm against her flesh when he spoke with a sweet tone- a tone that was dripping with the want and need his body had for her. Elena felt her body relax at his touch though as she felt his hand slip underneath her dress more and he whispered against her ear in a captivating tone. "I want you. Right here, right now. Be in the moment with me, Elena. Nothing else matters, but you and me."

Elena paused for a moment, her mind racing with a million thoughts as she pulled back to look up at Stefan, a saddened look in her eyes when she said abruptly, instantly running the moment. "Stefan, I know where Katherine is."

* * *

It was like a punch to the gut as he stepped away from her, looking at her in the room that was illuminated by the hallway lights that shined through the white cheap looking blinds. Stefan wasn't angry with her, mostly just so disappointed that she had broken such an intense and almost heated moment between them that it was hard to think of anything else but his hands on her skin.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner. But, Stefan. I want to be completely honest with you. We said that we were going to be honest right?" Elena asked, fixing her dress and turning back towards the door, ready to open it.

"Yeah. But, you kind of have crappy timing." Stefan commented, looking down at the floor and then back to Elena who had just propped the door open, an apologetic look on her face.

"I just…I can't fully be with you, until you divorce her, Stefan. I just- I keep thinking that whenever you look at me that you see her. I'm sorry, but thats just how things need to be for now." Elena replied, watching him rub his face in frustration. Stefan's mouth opened to say something. But, just as Elena pulled the door open and stepped out into the hallway and he followed her.

They both froze in their place at the sound of a familiar voice that sent their bodies both in a bit of shock when she said in a sly and repulsed tone. "Huh. Well, that didn't take long now, did it? The two of you hooking up surely is an interesting turn of events. Now, how long did it take for Stefan to forget all about me? Remember, honey. We're still legally married and she is my sister." Katherine said, looking around her as she walked towards them, her curly and voluminous hair bouncing with every step that she took.

Stefan could feel an uneasy feeling in his stomach as he watched Katherine walk towards them with a smirk upon her face that never seemed to be leaving her lips. Even though, he knew that Katherine wasn't really a threat to Elena. He still stood in front of her, protectively as he finally found his words. "I don't know what you're doing here or how you found me, Katherine. But, I have no desire to even talk to you after the things you've done."

Katherine tilted her head to the side, a small glistening look of annoyance in her eyes when she stated. "It shouldn't matter how I found you- I heard about your little stunt on the news- if you really want to know and I decided that it was time I pay you a visit, my darling husband. However, what should matter is this, I'm back to claim what's rightfully mine, Elena. I've missed you, Stefan. Haven't you missed me too or have you been too busy shoving more than your tongue down my sister's throat?" Katherine asked, taking a step further towards him as she placed her hand on to his chest and leaned forward, whispering the last few words against his lips right before she leaned into him and left a rough, pleasurable kiss against his mouth.

Elena looked horrified as she stood there, her mouth gaped open as she watched Katherine push back from Stefan and him wipe her lipstick from his lips. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah, I'm back now, Elena. I hope you don't mind sharing my husband. I guess it really is as they say though, let him decide which one of us he wants."

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy...The bitch is back! ;) Nothing like a little Katherine to cause some trouble for the Stefan & Elena. Also as for Caroline and Alex...I can't wait for her to get rid of him and redeem herself. :) **


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

****Within Temptation- Chapter Eighteen** **

"What does she want?" Elena hissed, hands on her hips, a facial expression on her face that looked like she was fed up, pissed off at how Katherine could just easily attempt to slip back into Stefan's good graces and his new life without her.

Katherine smirked, turning back around towards Stefan and Elena, stunned expressions on their faces. "It's simple, Elena. You're mistaken identity scheme, is done here, I want my old life back. It's time I take back what's mine and take control of the mess, I'm sure you made." She commented, spinning her long brown hair in between her thin fingers, glancing up at Elena like she had just now really seen her for the first time in her life.

"You can't just waltz back into my life or Stefan's and expect to have things handed to you, Katherine. That's not how things work and besides, Stefan's done with you, he doesn't want you anymore, after everything you've done. So, I suggest you pick up your things and take your sorry ass back home to your hiding spot. Since, we both know how good you are at running away from all of your problems."

Stefan heard Katherine let out an annoyed laugh, stepping in front of Elena with threatening brown eyes, a gaze that could kill. "Listen to me, sister. We may be family and you may be sleeping with my husband, right now. But, that won't stop me from ruining you and whatever you have with him, it won't last. And, it won't stop you from destroying him. You'll use him for everything he's worth. Then, you'll leave. You've never loved Stefan as yourself. You seem to be forgetting, Elena. You've loved him for months now, for nearly a year- pretending to be me, his wife!" Katherine told her, her voice low and harsh as she backed away and smiled sweetly at Stefan.

"Isn't that right, Stefan? You don't know her...You-." She began to say as she watched Stefan cross his arms over his chest, shaking his head when he cleared his throat and spoke. "Sadly, I know more about her than I know about you, Katherine...I don't know where you've been, I don't even know why you left me. All, I do know is that before you left me. You destroyed what we had by sleeping with Elijah and god knows who else. So, as far as I'm concerned. As much as I don't know, Elena. I don't know who you are anymore, even more. Oh and one more thing, Elena certainly. Isn't you and I highly doubt that she'd sabotage my relationship with her, like you did."

Her mouth dropped open, eyes glued to his face as she scoffed at his words. "She may not be like me right now. But, eventually..She will be. I guess, we'll see about that once we all get back home." Katherine told him with a wink, turning away from them as she began to walk down the hallway. Yet, Katherine quickly stopped when Stefan called out her name softly, watching as she slightly turned towards him, eyes lighting up briefly at the way he had said her name.

"Mhhmm...Ready to tell me that you're making a mistake by being with my sister?" Katherine purred in a taunting tone.

Stefan laughed, stepping away from Elena so that he was now in the middle of the two sisters, looking up at Katherine with a charming smile on his face. "Actually, I'm ready to tell you that I want a divorce and that I changed the locks on the house. So, have fun finding somewhere else to stay. Maybe you can go back to wherever you've been hiding. I'm sure that wherever it is, it'd be better than living in a house with me- your soon to be ex-husband and the woman that he loves more than you."

* * *

She was nervous, her foot tapping against the laminated floors in the clinic as Caroline sat down on one of the cheap plastic red chairs and leaned her head back against the white colored wall. She had handed over the lab technician a sample of Klaus's DNA swab and was told that it could take 3-10 days to hear anything back as she waited for Alex to get his done. Caroline's mind was racing with memories, moments that she had loved, cherished and during the rough times with her and Klaus over the last few weeks, she had been thinking about them a lot, especially the start of their relationship when she had begged him to stay out of Chicago...

" _And, now I present to you all. Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson!." Someone shouted, smiling just as widely as Klaus had been when he leaned into Caroline and kissed her lips softly. They were carefree, they were young and all they knew were each other, nothing else seemed to matter either..Nothing but the two of them and the new life that they were just starting to share together._

" _I love you." She said, wiping away a smudge of lip stick off his lips when she heard Klaus laugh, taking her hand into his own and kissing the top of her hand. "I'm 100% sure that I love you more." He had told her, smiling as they both turned towards the crowd of people that had all gathered to celebrate their wedding, all walking around the reception hall of the small venue that they had picked out, drinks in hand and each one with huge gleeful smiles on their faces, directed towards the happy couple._

" _Come on, love. Let's dance." Klaus said, grabbing a hold of Caroline's hand and spinning her around the dance floor, laughing and smiling even wider than he was before when he watched Caroline slip her dark red high heels off and throw them to the side, near Damon's feet and the table that their friends had all gathered around._

" _I could spend the rest of my life in your arms. I don't want anything ruining what we have, Klaus. I don't want anything or anyone coming between us. I guess that's why I've been thinking, maybe it would be better if we didn't move to the city right away, maybe then we could raise a few kids out on the country side or something, we could start our family there. We could throw dinner parties and invite all of our friends. I just- I think that moving to a big city like Chicago, would change things between us." Caroline said in a hesitant tone, wrapping her arms around him tightly as he brushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin as he caught her blue eyed gaze and smiled at her._

" _Caroline, I don't have a choice. Damon and Stefan want to hire me on for their company and...I can't pass up the opportunity. I'm doing this for us, Caroline. Besides, I thought you've always loved the city. Chicago has some pretty good shopping and you'll never be bored. Honey, nothing will change between us. I'm still the same guy you fell in love with you're the same girl. Caroline, the worst thing that could happen would be that we get sick of each other and you kick me out of the apartment so that I have to sleep out on the balcony." He told her in a playful tone, leaning into her and capturing his lips against hers, silencing her thoughts instantly._

"The worst thing that could happen would be that we get sick of each other..." Caroline repeated his words from years earlier, a shiver coming over her body. She had known that moving out to Chicago to be closer to Klaus's job would change them. Yet, she never knew just how much it would and she never had expected for any of this to happen- that was one of the reason's she was so hesitant about it in the first place. Although, over the years as Caroline had spent more and more time working on projects and starting her own career, She had felt like she couldn't picture herself being anywhere else. But, in the city and near her husband. She never could have imagined that they would start fighting over stupid things, that she would have cheated on him. Because, Caroline regretted it now, all of it. And it all started with one stupid thing, moving into the city that changed their lives and their relationship forever.

"You look stressed out." Alex pointed out, smirking at her as Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "Well, they took my swab an they let me go. So, I guess you and I are done here." He added, watching as she got up from her seat and followed him out the waiting room.

"Alex, I only did this because I wanted to prove to my husband that our daughter is his, that she always has been. You and I will never happen again. I made a mistake that I would do anything to take back, starting with moving to this stupid city and bumping into you. I wish more than anything, that I could take it all back, that I could change what I did. I ruined the one thing in my life that was perfect...My relationship with Klaus." Caroline's voice cracked as she watched Alex turn towards her, his hand placed gently on her shoulder.

"I shouldn't have let you into my apartment that night, Caroline. I should have told you to go back home to Klaus and fix things. I'm sorry that I didn't and I realize now that I took advantage of you and your situation. But, as much as I'm at fault for what happened between us, so are you. I'll stay out of your way, even if Sarah is mine. I'm sure that Klaus could do a way better job than I could at raising her. Besides, he's the only father figure that she's ever known and I don't want to confuse her by coming into her life. But, I didn't do this for you, know that. I did this for me too- so that I'm not always wondering about the 'what if's.' Look, just...good luck and I hope you two find your way back to each other, because he was always the one that could give you more of a life than I ever could. Goodbye, Caroline." Alex said, leaning into her and kissing her cheek softly as he stepped away and glanced up at her once more before walking in the opposite direction of the street.

"Goodbye, Alex." She whispered, holding her cell phone into her hands, feeling them tremble just a bit as she exhaled out a breath and scrolled down her contacts list on her iphone. Caroline's heart was racing as the dial tone rang and just when she heard it pick up, she blurted out. "I know that I'm the last person that you want to see right now. But, I miss her and I miss you, Klaus...I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you. Please...let's meet somewhere so that we can talk about this. So, that I can make this better, so that I can fix my mistakes. So, I can make you understand, how sorry I am for everything that I've done."

* * *

"She really thinks that she can just get her old life back like that, walking in her like nothings changed?" Elena said with a laugh, shaking her head as she held on to Stefan's hand across the wooden picnic table that they sat down at after Katherine had left.

"I guess so. Elena, I meant what I said to her. After, I get released from here, after I'm better. I want to start my life over and I want to start it over with you..I love you, Elena." He said truthfully, squeezing her hand as she smiled at him and nodded.

"I know you do. I love you too. But, Stefan...How are we going to start over with each other when Katherine's going to be lingering around you. I just have this feeling that 'getting her old life back' isn't all that she's after. I feel like it's something more then that." Elena remarked, letting go of Stefan's hands as she exhaled out a breath and leaned back a bit, taking in his tired looking facial expression. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days and seeing Katherine was even more of a shock to his system, making him look even more distressed.

"Everything is going to be okay." Stefan reassured her, smiling just a little as Elena's face hardened and she locked her eyes upon his. "I know it will be. But, not as long as Katherine's around. So, whatever it is that she's after we need to find out what it is and we need to figure out a way to get rid of her, for good. Before she really does come between us and ruins what we're slowly starting to develop between us."

Stefan nodded, agreeing when he held out his hands towards Elena again and watched as she grabbed a hold of them. "So, what is it that you and I have here? Since, you said that you and I shouldn't start up anything if I'm still married to Katherine. So, what are we doing with each other, exactly?" He asked, gazing across the table to see Elena bite down on her lower lip nervously when she replied in a soft tone. "I don't know. But, I'm going to stick around for as long as you'll have me." She said with a serious look on her face, looking over to see Stefan smiling. " Elena, I want you to know that whatever happens between us. Katherine being back here, won't change anything between us. I promise, our relationship will only get better and stronger from now on."


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Nineteen**

It had been a few days since he had gotten her message. Klaus was too busy with work to call her back though, trying to figure out what he was going to do since he couldn't stay at Stefan's house for very much longer, living under the same roof as a whiny and overly emotional Rebekah lately was driving him crazy!

"He told me I looked fat! Can you believe that, then he had the nerve to ask me if I was eating for two!" She shouted across the isle in the kitchen, looking over at her brother who had a newspaper in front of him, a highlighter in his hands as he looked through the real estate section of the classified ads. "Ha, Rebekah. You're not fat and you have to realize that you are eating for two now. So, you have to eat more calories and all that..Don't you have a doctor who tells you these things?" He asked her bluntly, causing his sister's head to snap up from the cake that she had been examining, just about to eat a piece of it.

" I do and we've been to see her. She said the same thing. Although, she also said that it would take a while to experience more changes in my body...But, I figured why wait until my body decides to start changing..Might as well start packing on the pounds now..." Her voice trailed off as she licked the white cream cheese icing off her finger and then covered the cake back up with the plastic wrap, contemplating on eating it or not.

"With cake?" Klaus said, laughing a little at how unrealistically she seemed to be taking all of this.

"Yes with cake and a glass of cold milk, Klaus. Do you have a problem with that?" She asked him, just about to shove a small piece of cake in her mouth. Quickly stopping though as she looked over at him and asked. "By the way, shouldn't you be somewhere..like, fixing things with Caroline instead of looking at new places to live?" Rebekah questioned him in a stern tone, placing her hands on to her hips, tilting her head to the side as she bunched up the gray fabric of her shirt into her hands, her black yoga pants dragging across the tiled floor when she walked over to where her brother was sitting, slumped over the newspaper on a bar stool in the kitchen.

"She called me and I just...I haven't been able to call her back. I don't know what to tell Sarah anymore, Rebekah...I just-." Klaus began to explain as his sister let out an annoyed breath and placed her palms flatly on the counter top.

"I have an idea, stop looking at these classified ads and go talk to her. You'll probably be surprised as to what she has to say, Klaus. I'm sure that she misses you and is genuinely sorry for what she did. You two love each other and you'll fix this, just give it time..." Her voice trailed off as she watched Klaus rub his hands roughly against his face.

"Fine, I'll meet with her. I'll hear her out. But, it's not going to fix anything any time soon. I'm still pissed off!" He said, pushing himself up and grabbing his cell phone in one hand and in the other his car keys, ready to call Caroline and meet with her.

* * *

Her hands were shaking, her heart was pounding as she checked the mail and watched the letter from the paternity clinic fall to the ground. Caroline took a deep breath as she bent down to pick it up and just when she did, her cell phone rang. She quickly fumbled with the iphone in her hands as it nearly dropped to the concrete floor beneath her feet.

"Breath, Caroline." She reminded herself softly as she looked down at the name flashing across the screen. Her breathing stopped for a moment, words escaping out of her mind as she answered it and heard his deep and sweet voice speak. "Hi Caroline." Klaus said, a tone of sweet and sadness in his voice as she opened her mouth to speak. Yet, she couldn't find any words except for a very low and barely there. "Hi."

"I..um, I was hoping that we could meet, without Sarah of course. I wanted to talk to you about things. I got your voice mail and I think it's time we sit down and talk about everything." He told her, listening to her breathing become a bit staggered as she exhaled out a breath, nodding.

"Yeah, I think it is. Let's meet at MK restaurant to talk, in an hour. I have something important to tell you." She said in a truthful tone, looking down briefly at the envelop in her hands, North Pacific Ave Paternity Clinic written in blue on the top of the envelop, taunting her to open it and look at the results. But, hearing Klaus's agreement to meet her, stopped Caroline from doing anything drastic.

"Okay, so I'll see you in an hour then." Klaus confirmed, as Caroline nodded, telling him a quick goodbye right before she hung up. She looked back down at the envelop, shoving it in her purse and stopping herself from opening it until she could sit down with Klaus and they could look at the results of Sarah's paternity together. Deep down knowing that either way, she would fight for him, even if he didn't want her too. Because, the one thing that Caroline knew was that she had to make things better for them, she had to fix this!

* * *

The restaurant was packed with people, all the chairs on the upper level of it were full of people and families enjoying their dinner, laughing, smiling and enjoying each other's company. Caroline looked around the room, scanning the lower level and the upper one as she pulled out her cell phone, ready to call Klaus. But, she quickly stopped herself when she heard his voice. "You ready to go? I got us a table near the window, the lower level, in one of those white booths." He told her, brushing past her just enough to send a little bit of a shock wave through her system..God, she missed him.

Caroline stayed quiet and only mumbled a soft "Thank you." As he allowed her to go ahead of him, watching with softer eyes then he had before when she sat down across from him in the booth, waving off the waiter just for a moment as they looked at the menu's.

"How have you been?" She asked him, looking down at his hands, noticing that he still had his wedding ring on his hand. A small smile tugged across her lips as she exhaled out a breath. She was thankful for it, that he hadn't gotten rid of it just yet. Like she hadn't gotten rid of hers, even if wearing it everyday was a reminder of what she was fighting to get back. It was all worth it- because, they were worth it. Klaus was worth fighting for and she didn't care if she had to gravel down at his feet in forgiveness, she'd do anything to correct her mistake, to get back what they used to be..Happy...A family.

"Well, I've had better months, weeks, days even. Caroline. Leaning that my wife cheated on me and that my own daughter possibly isn't mine, really screws with my head!" He said in a high pitched tone, causing a few people in the restaurant to look over at them as she slumped down into her seat, covering her face with her hands a bit.

"Klaus, I'm sorry...How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry for hurting you, sorry for ruining us? I'm sorry for everything!" She exclaimed, tears streaming down her face as she looked over at him, watching him give her a sympathetic look. He hated watching her cry and she knew that.

"Caroline, I wanted to meet with you because-." He began to say as he watched her turn to her left side where her purse was, pulling out a white envelop with the blue letters more pronounced and visible then ever, it was like a punch to the gut, Klaus thought. Suddenly the atmosphere between them changed as she slide it across the table and looked up at him.

"I got the results for Sarah's paternity test..." Her voice broke, looking down at her shaking hands. She couldn't sit still, couldn't even look up at Klaus as he took the envelop in his hands and clears his throat. "Good, let's open it together." He said, leaning across the table and placing his hand on top of hers. Caroline exhaled deeply, tears welling up into her eyes again as she locked her gaze on to his and nodded, a soft "Okay" leaving her lips as she briefly noticed that her husband was touching her, the first touch that they had shared with each other in weeks- even if it was brief, made her breathe a little easier for a moment.

Her heart began to race again, she could hear it inside of her ear drums as she wiped away her falling tears when she watched Klaus open the envelop, closing his eyes when he unfolded the paper and placed it flatly on the table without looking at it, sliding it across the table and looking up at Caroline as he told her. "Tell me what it says. I can't look at it."

She closed her eyes, mascara streaked cheeks as she inhaled deeply, trying to stop herself from continuing to cry. But, it seemed impossible as she grabbed the paper and looked up at her husband before she flipped it over. "Whatever it says, your her dad, Klaus. This piece of paper won't changed that. You've been through everything with her..." Caroline's voice trailed off as she picked it up, hands shaking when she looked it over and at the very middle of the paper she saw the words in bold letters say. _**Probability of paternity...99.999%**_

Caroline's tears increased as they cascaded down her cheeks and she replied in a soft, quivering voice when she spoke. "She's your daughter, Klaus. Sarah's your daughter. I was right...You've always been her dad. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry that I ruined us all because of this. But, she's yours... she always has been."

Klaus inhale a deep breath, getting up from out of the booth as he stood near the table, looking down at Caroline as he told her to scoot over a little. Her tear stained cheeks were covered in black streaks, tears dripping down into her mouth and on to her light purple colored shirt when she felt his arms lightly wrap around her. She could hear his breathing hitch as he placed her head onto his chest and held her protectively. "I'm sorry too. I love you, Caroline. But, I don't know how we're going to fix all of the damage this caused." He said in an honest tone, stroking her hair down with his fingertips as he looked around the restaurant that now had a few people looking at them in awe, a few of them even gossiping about what was going on. Surely, they'd probably be photographed leaving together and tomorrow morning the headlines would read **"Troubled lovers, recoil their differences over dinner.."**

"We'll find a way, we will, it's going to take time. But, I'm going to fix this, Klaus. I promise. Please, just...please, forgive me for nearly destroying us, for all they hurt I've caused you. I love you, Klaus. I love you so much and I never meant to hurt you the way I did. Please, forgive me." She begged and sobbed, clutching onto his button up black shirt as she turned her head into his chest and cried even more, hearing him exhale deeply, tightening his grip around his wife as they sat in the restaurant together, both of them trying to process everything that had been keeping them apart for months.

"I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to be without you or our daughter anymore. Please, Klaus...I'm sorry." Caroline repeated in a broken tone as she heard him softly sooth her cries with one simple reply. "I know."

* * *

Katherine unlocked the front door to the house as she held her breath, hoping to not run into anyone. But, just as she opened the front door, she ran into her, she was wearing one of her bright yellow dresses, hair curled back into a half ponytail just like Katherine's was.

"What are you doing here?" Elena hissed, watching Katherine shut the door behind her as she smirked and opened her mouth to speak. But, Elena quickly pushed her up against the door, her short fingernails digging into her sister's skin as she locked her eyes on Katherine. "Stefan made himself very clear that he doesn't want you here, Katherine. So, I suggest you leave." Elena said, releasing her grip from Katherine's neck, listening carefully as she heard footsteps.

"Damon, Rebekah and Elijah are in this house right now..If any of them see you here. We'll both have a lot of explaining to do." Elena said, watching as Katherine rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue to the top of her roof, brushing past Elena with a vicious smile.

"Oh? They don't know that you have a sister...do they? They still think that you're me? Oh, ha. That's cute. But, you really need to stop pretending to be me, now!" Katherine commented, turning her head as she watched Elena shake her head- her face turning pale. Not very many people knew anything about her, the only person that was starting to learn a lot more was Stefan and she had figured that if she kept it small, then it would be easier when she eventually told everyone else in the house, the truth.

"Katherine, don't do it. You don't know what this is going to do to me, I don't want the media swarming me and asking questions!" Elena said, her voice a hushed tone as she quickly tried to pull Katherine back with reaching for her arm.

"Oh, honey. I know exactly what it's going to do. It'll expose you even more. I mean, how many people know about who you really are? Stefan and-" Katherine's voice broke as she turned away from Elena and looked up, there he stood, his eyes locked on both of the sister's in total disbelief.

"I'll be damned! You two really are twins..." Elijah said, his voice trailing off as took a step closer and just when he did, her eyes shot open and Elena gasped for air, looking around the darkened room as she placed her hand on to her rapidly beating heart.

Elena had been living with Bonnie in her apartment for the last few weeks, since she didn't feel comfortable going back to living in the house that Stefan had owned, especially knowing that Katherine was probably wandering the halls of it.

"Elena, are you okay?" Bonnie asked her quietly, groaning when she flipped the light on and looked over at the young brunette- she looked terrified.

"It was just a dream...Bonnie, although, I think I know what she wants.." Elena's voice trailed off as Bonnie looked up at her in confusion, it was late- a little past 4:30 in the morning and here she was, mumbling incoherently about Katherine.

"It's early, Elena. You had a bad dream about Katherine. Now, go back to sleep...You have a date with Stefan today, remember, you two made a promise to each other." She reminded her, watching as Elena nodded and pushed herself back up against her pillows.

"I know. But, Bonnie...Katherine's back for a reason and I won't stop until I find out why." Elena said softly, hearing Bonnie let out a small laugh as she shut off the light in Elena's room and turned away from her, speaking softly over her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now, go back to sleep. I have work in the morning and you, have to make an appearance looking all cute in front of Stefan. From what I remember you saying earlier when you came back from the seeing him last night, it involves a picnic and finally having him out of that damn clinic for a few hours. In other words, you have date with your boyfriend. Now, get some sleep!"

"Yeah,my still very married to my sister, boyfriend!" Elena groaned, falling back into her pillows as she closed her eyes and exhaled out a breath. Maybe spending time with Stefan, completely alone was just what she needed to get her mind off of having nightmares about her sister!

* * *

The house was quiet when she stepped inside, it still had looked the same, nothing had seemed to change except for the pictures on the walls, most of them being replaced with pictures of Elena and Stefan which made Katherine pissed off and annoyed. "That little witch really did take my life..didn't she?" Katherine mumbled under her breath, her hands reaching out to take the picture frame of Stefan and Elena into her hands. Katherine smirked at it, ready to watch it fall to the ground, hear the glass shatter as she was about to watch it be smashed to the ground. But, his voice stopped her.

"You shouldn't be here, Elena. It's way too early for you to be sneaking around the house and from what I remember, Stefan said that you weren't allowed to step foot back into this house without a really good reason." Elijah informed her.

Katherine rolled her eyes at him, placing her hands on to her hips as she walked with that familiar sway in posture. "You've got to be kidding me. What are you going to do, call the cops on me..hmm?"

"I could. You're trespassing, after the things you did. You're not welcome here anymore." Elijah commented, taking a step in front of her as Katherine locked her eyes on him, her eyes scanning his body as she licked her lips and purred out in a bittersweet tone. "God, you still look hot, I've missed you, Elijah..I really have. All of you."

"Elena, I know who you really are and you need to leave, now. It's time you stop being Katherine and go back to wherever it is that you're from!" Elijah warned her, hearing a loud laugh escape past Katherine's lips as she walked up to him, placing her hand on to his chest flatly and leaning into his ear as she whispered.

"Here's the thing, next time you think I'm Elena, look a little closer at me. You should know me better than anyone, even Stefan. Because, there's only one Katherine Salvatore and that's me. My sister obviously did a very shitty job at pretending to be me. But, you know.. I give her some credit. She had you and Stefan fooled. So, the girl has skills in deception. Hmm..some skills." Katherine said, taking a step back to take in Elijah's stunned facial expression when he uttered out her name. "Katherine?"

She nodded, smiling a mischievous grin when she pushed away from him, smiling even wider as she added. "The one and only."

"How did you get in here...Why are you even here..." He was rambling, watching Katherine take a seat into the living room, crossing her legs over one another as she adjusted her dark blue dress and sat down on the couch, pulling the fabric down a bit when she smirked and looked up at him, her former lover. He still looked as good as he did when she was sleeping with him, that was for sure!

Katherine ran her hands through her hair, pouting her lips a bit as she grinned and replied. "I still have a key to my house. And, honestly..none of that should matter right now, all that should matter is that I'm back, Elijah and that I'm not going anywhere for a very long time. However, it's been a while since I've been in Chicago and in this house. So, tell me..What have I missed?"


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twenty**

She didn't want to leave, spent the night in the many guest rooms of the house and in the morning, Katherine had to deal with the glares and shocked faces of both Damon and Rebekah from across the table. "What? It's not like I killed someone...Stop staring at me!" She snapped, pushing herself up from the table and looking over at Elijah who was barely swallowing down the orange juice in his glass.

"It's just...Katherine, we-" Rebekah began to say as Katherine turned back to look at her, her dark brown curly locks bouncing up and down with ease. "Save it Rebekah. We both know that you've hated me from day one. Remember what you told Stefan at our wedding? Oh, yeah...That we wouldn't last..That's right, I think that those were your exact words. I tired my best and-" She was cut off by the sound of a fork dropping to the ground, Katherine rolled her dark brown eyes as she placed her hands on to her hips and exhaled, glaring over at Damon who gave her a cheeky grin.

"Now, I'm sick of lying..Let's see...Hmm..Stefan has a drug problem that he's been battling for years and now thanks to him confessing it to the whole world, everyone knows about it. Elijah and I have been sleeping together for over a year and thanks to my twin sister, Stefan found out about that. And, Damon and you have a really rocky relationship because..Oh yeah, that's right- you used to sleep with my husband! And now, my sister's been sleeping with my husband and he's in rehab, while she's paying him cute little visits." Katherine said with a sly smile that quickly faded when she leaned her back against the counter in the kitchen and smirked at all of them, their faces nearly dropping to the table at her words.

"Did I miss anything or am I pretty up to speed with what's been going on here since I've been away?" Katherine asked them, causing Damon's face to go pale and open his mouth. But, with the nudge of Rebekah's elbow shoved into his side, he stopped himself from adding more to the situation.

"Oh and I have a question..Anyone want to care to explain to me why no one seems to be giving a damn about Jenna's antique business that's been falling apart, right under our noses? That's right, Damon. I overheard you on the phone this morning, talking to Klaus and you all have been seeming to ignore the fact that you made me a promise, years ago. To help my aunt out!" Katherine asked them, taking a step towards the dining room table as Damon cleared his throat to speak. But, Elijah stopped him.

"We've been busy. Very busy with Stefan in rehab and Klaus..being...well, my brother has been having some personal things going on.." Elijah's voice trailed off when Katherine locked her gaze upon him and she tilted her head to the side, clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

"Well, I guess we'll have to figure things out without them then. So, which one of you wants to take me to Dasells this morning? I think if the other associates saw me that they'd pick up the pace on things. Since, all of you are clearly slacking!" Katherine hissed out, turning away from them all as she exhaled out a breath.

"If we're pissing you off, Katherine. Why did you even come back?" Rebekah asked her, getting up from her chair as she inhaled a sharp breath through gritted teeth.

"Ha, That's for me to be concerned about and not you. Besides, I thought that you and Damon were going to be moving out, Rebekah. This is my house, after all. And, you are just a guest in it." Katherine told her harshly, turning away from her without another word when she glanced over her shoulder, looking directly at Elijah when she added. "I'll be waiting in the car, 10 minutes. Hurry up, Elijah!"

* * *

"What the hell was that? What's wrong with you!" Elijah yelled at her as he slammed the driver's side door to the white and gray colored Lamborghini Reventon, a sports car that was one of Stefan's favorites and that Katherine knew cost a very pretty penny. It made her stomach churn knowing that Elijah wanted to drive it because Stefan had considered it his favorite car and the only person he had allowed to drive it was himself and Damon.

"You want to drive me to Dasells in my husband's 1.6 million dollar sports car? Are you insane, Elijah?" Katherine asked him in a snarky tone, feeling as he revved the engine and they jolted forward, a wide grin spreading across Elijah's face as he turned towards Katherine and laughed.

"Please, he's in rehab and he won't be back for a while, it's not that big of deal that I'm taking his car out for a little joy ride. Katherine and it might as well be time that you stop calling him your husband. He's been sleeping around with your sister, and personally..I think he's moved on. I don't blame him since you made us think you were dead for a long time. Please, Katherine. Be honest with me- what are you really doing back here, what do you want?" He asked her, the tires spinning out in the parking lot and crunching against the asphalt as Elijah hit the gas pedal and Katherine exhaled deeply when she felt the speed of the car increase and watched Elijah weave his way through the lanes.

"It's nothing." She told him, trying to brush it off like her being back into the fold of things, wasn't that big of deal. But, Elijah had known her well enough to know that she was clearly lying to him. "Stop lying!" He exclaimed, his eyes deadlocked on the entrance to the freeway as he shifted gears and the car felt like it was sailing through the freeway.

"Stop speeding! You're going to kill us both!" Katherine screamed at him, her voice pleading a bit and her mind racing regrading the decision to even be in the same car as her pissed off ex-lover.

"I'm not going to stop until you tell me, why you're back! Why are you here, Katherine? What do you want..Is it Stefan? Is that it or is it to play more mind tricks on everyone, including me and make us all look like the biggest idiots that this city has ever seen!" Elijah asked her in an irritated tone, lifting his foot off the gas pedal a little as his hands tightened around the dark leather covered steering wheel.

"Please, Elijah slow down!" Katherine begged, her voice was full of fear and she was on the verge of tears when she looked at the speedometer which read 85 miles per hour, her stomach tightened even more when he caught a glimpse of the speed limit which read 50 miles per hour.

"Not until you tell me what it is? Is it money that you're after? Hmm, because that wouldn't surprise me that much." He told her, focusing all of his attention back on to the road that was starting to get a bit more congested with traffic, causing Elijah to slow down the car a little.

"Because, a few years ago. I slept with Mason Lockwood, Elijah. He's Stefan's old business partner and...We had a son. I came back because I want Stefan to hand over Dasells to me. I want the business, Elijah. I want it all for my future and my son's and my soon to be ex-husband is the only one who can give me that." Katherine confessed, tears streaming down her face as she felt the car slow down to a normal speed and glanced over at Elijah who seemed too stunned to speak. The car fell dead silent and the only sound that was heard was the changing of gears and the motor that sounded like it was working on overdrive.

When Elijah finally spoke, still stunned by her admission. He was in a daze when he asked. "That's why you faked your own kidnapping? Because, you didn't want anyone to know that you had a kid with someone that wasn't Stefan? Why would you even tell me about this, Katherine. I thought you and I had a future together...What the hell is wrong with you. Why would you confess to me that you had a son with someone else!"

He could hear her wailing sobs as she leaned her head against the cold glass window in the car, steam covering it as she inhaled and then exhaled a deep breath. "I don't want to lie anymore, Elijah. I did love you and I still do and I'm sorry! I'm sorry because Mason and I happened by an accident...It was never supposed to mean anything. I wasn't supposed to get-." Katherine began to say, mascara running down her cheeks when she looked over at him and heard him exhale deeply, disappointment in his eyes when he glanced over at her.

"We were supposed to leave together. It was always supposed to be you and me, Katherine and now, I don't know what to think anymore about you. I was a fool, an idiot for a loving a woman that I should have known would never be mine!" He told her, turning on the blinker and exiting at the familiar place that was near Dasells.

"You know what, Katherine. I'm glad your back because it made me realize that I don't need to wait around for you anymore, expecting for us to be something. You and I are done after today...I never want to see you again and don't worry. It shouldn't be a probably since I was offered a job at another company in Illinois, far away from Chicago..I'm leaving and restarting my life without you, without any of my family and without all the heartache and drama that this town has brought me." Elijah told her, bringing the car to a complete stop in front of Dasells as he leaned across the passenger side and opened the door for Katherine, a saddened look on his face as when he added. "I hope you get what you've always wanted...And, I really hope that your actions will teach you a lesson. You can't play with people's lives, Katherine Salvatore. It isn't fair. Now, get out of the car."

"I'm sorry." Katherine told him softly, opening the car door wider and glancing over at Elijah who was pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling deeply, eyes tightly closed shut. He scoffed at her apology when he open his eyes and secured them onto her tearful gaze. "Tell that to everyone that you've wrong since you let power and wealth get to your head. You'll be alone for the rest of your life, Katherine Pierce. If you keep it up. You'll be alone, forever."

* * *

Caroline smiled as she watched Sarah sit across from her, an ice cream cone in her hands, the vanilla favored sweet treat melting down her daughter's skin and in between her fingers, causing them to be sticky.

"Sweetheart, use a napkin." Caroline commented, leaning forward and handing Sarah a white thin napkin, smiling at Sarah as she locked her blues on Caroline.

"Momma? When's daddy coming home?" Sarah asked her, sticking out her tongue to capture the droplets of vanilla that was falling out of the waffle cone in her hands.

Caroline opened her mouth to reply. But, just when she did, she heard his voice from behind Sarah. "Very soon, I hope."

Both Caroline and Sarah's heads spun around as Klaus bent down and watched Sarah drop her ice cream cone that she had been holding on to ever so tightly until she had seen her father. "Daddy!" She shrieked, got even caring that her hands were covered in ice cold ice cream left overs and that she had some of it on her dark purple dress with a white ribbon tied around it.

"Hi, sweetheart. I've missed you, so much." Klaus told her, wrapping her up into his embrace and lifting himself from the ground, spinning Sarah around in his arms until he could her hear sweet and loud giggling laughter fill the backyard where her and Caroline had been sitting.

Sarah's blue eyes were filled with excitement and pure joy as Klaus placed her back on to the ground and patted her head, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "Daddy, do you like vanilla ice cream?" She asked him, amusement in Sarah's eyes as she bit down on her lower lip and placed her hands behind her back when Klaus smiled softly, nodding.

"Yeah...Do you want to go back inside of the house and ask your aunt Rebekah for another ice cream cone...We can share it." Klaus commented, watching as Sarah stopped, stepping back front of Klaus and tightening her little arms around him as she exhaled deeply, softly replying with a pleading tone. "Don't leave anywhere. I'll be back."

Klaus swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he bent down towards his daughter again, pushing a strand of her curly blonde hair behind her ears, glancing over to see Caroline observing them when he said. "I'll be right here, I promise sweetheart. Daddy's not leaving you, ever."

Klaus got back up and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Sarah disappear back into the house and then turned his attention to Caroline. "How have you been?" He asked her softly, taking a step towards her, noticing the tears in her eyes watching her blink them away when she said in a broken tone. "Good."

Klaus inhaled sharply, uncrossing his arms away from his chest as he took a few steps closer towards his wife and watched when she hesitantly moved towards him. Caroline opened her mouth to speak. But, watched as Klaus lifted his hand in the air, locking his gaze on to her when he said. "Don't Caroline..Please, just don't...We just need to repair this slowly, Caroline..Just..Please."

She nodded as she stepped closer towards him and he did the same to her, extending out his arms when he watched her head fall lightly against his chest, sobbing tears falling against her cheeks and nearly drowning out her voice when she asked. "How are you?"

Klaus cleared his throat, holding his wife in his arms for the first time in months. He needed a moment to think, and when he finally spoke. Klaus's voice was just as tired and broken has hers when he replied simply, tightening his arms protectively around Caroline's waistline, leaning down to kiss her forehead as he whispered against her skin. "I'm better now. I'm a lot better now."

* * *

Elena opened her eyes as she rolled over on the blanket that was laying in the grass and placed her hand on to Stefan's chest. It was beautiful, the birds were chirping in the tall evergreen trees above them, the park was quiet and somewhat secluded as they lay beside each other. But, all Elena was focused on was Stefan's smiling face, he was staring up at the blue sky and inhaling deeply, not saying a word except for listening to the noises around them. The water from the stream trickling down as it hit against a few rocks, feeling the cool breeze of the wind causing goose bumps on Elena's skin. It really was perfect.

"You're cold." Stefan said in an observant tone as he finally looked down at Elena who was wearing a light peach colored shrug, black tights that came to her knees and a long black t-shirt that came half way to her thighs.

"It's fine." She replied in a soft tone, nuzzling against him, exhaling deeply.

"Do we really have to go back in two hours? I don't want to leave this place or you for that matter. I'm happy, Stefan. I'm happy with you." Elena told him as she placed her hand onto Stefan's chest and felt him tighten his grip around her. She was happy to finally be alone with him and the fact that their picnic spot was fairly secluded, helped her relax a bit more. She could feel Stefan's fingers slip into her hair, massing her scalp when he spoke.

"Let's go back to the car, I have a surprise for you." Stefan replied to her, lifting them both up as he pushed himself off the ground with Elena in his arms. He could hear her sigh as she fixed her hair and adjusted a few pieces that were falling out from the bobby pins that she had placed it in.

"A surprise for me? Stefan, you didn't need to-." Elena began to say as she watched him lean towards her, his lips just centimeters away from hers as he spoke against them in a flirtatious and sweet tone. "Just trust me..We have two hours to kill and I want to spend them wisely, every minute with you." He told her with a wink, lifting himself up as he extended out his hands and helped Elena to her feet, giving her lips a quick kiss before he turned away from her and picked up their sandwich wrappers and juice bottles.

"Let's go." He replied, when Elena had finally folded the blanket up and placed it over her arm, smiling at him when Stefan grabbed the rest of their things and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together when he added. "I love seeing you smile."

Elena laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder when she said. "Well, it's because of you. You know, I haven't felt like this in years and your a big part of it, Stefan. You make me happy and I don't want to mess that up."

Stefan smiled at her, taking their hands and bringing her hand up to his lips, kissing the top of it as he let their hands fall when he reassured her. "You won't. I won't let you, as long as you don't let me mess this up. We're good together, Elena and I don't care anymore about what anyone thinks. I'm better because of you and my cravings for the drugs are almost gone whenever you're around me. You make me better, Elena. You make me want to be a better man."

* * *

The sun was starting to fade and Stefan knew that their time together was dwindling since he had a curfew in place to make sure that he made it back to the rehab clinic in time. Yet, he couldn't stop staring at how beautiful she looked across from him, a puzzled look on her face when she scrunched her face together and inhaled deeply.

"We're lost." Elena remarked, looking around the field that they had pulled over on, deep and dense forest surrounding them, off the beaten path and far from the main road, Elena knew that for sure as she looked up to see the sun starting to fall behind the green acreage.

"It's getting dark, we're lost and we have about a little over an hour before I have to go home and you have to go back to the clinic. We need to find our way back to the main road, Stefan..." Her voice trailed off as he smiled, letting out a little bit of a laugh.

"I have a better idea. Have you ever watched the sunset before?" He asked her, knowing that it sounded quite ridiculous, because he was sure that she had plenty of times in the past. But, Stefan figured that it was still worth a shot.

"Yeah. But, not in a field like this, in the middle of nowhere with a very good looking guy." Elena answered with a smile, a small sparkle appearing in her brown eyes when Stefan cleared his throat, getting out of the car and going back to the trunk, grabbing the blanket that they had been laying on in the park before they had left, earlier in the day.

Elena watched as he spread it out on the grass covered field in the fading daylight, looking up at her and waving when he said. "Come on, we'll miss it."

She jumped out of the car, nearly tripping over herself as she sat beside him and felt his arm around her, pulling her closer to his warm body.

"I haven't seen the sun go down like this in years. I was too busy with work, making the business what it is, too worried about where Katherine was spending her time and my own demons to enjoy it that I didn't really get to-.." Stefan's voice trailed off as he watched Elena lift her head away from his shoulder, her hands lifting up to touch his face as she softly added, finishing his thoughts. "To appreciate it. You were too busy to appreciate it."

Stefan nodded, sighing out a breath when they both looked back up at the sky and they watched in silence as the sun disappeared behind the thick group of large green forest in front of them.

"We should be heading back.." Elena's voice trailed off when she lifted her head off of Stefan's shoulder and saw the reflection of disappointment in his green gaze. The headlights from the borrowed car that Elena had gotten from Bonnie were shining on them as Stefan leaned towards her and whispered against her ear softly. "I know."

She said his name sharply, trying to calm her racing heart and staggered breathing when she felt his hand slide across the fabric of her tights and her skin crawled with desire for him. "Stefan...We really need to- We're being incredibly stupid right now."

"I know." He replied with a smug smile, locking his eyes on to Elena, his emerald green gaze was intense and filled with want when he backed away from her, licking his lips as he gently caressed her face and smiled.

"We don't have a lot of time." She remarked, hoping to prevent herself or him from doing anything that they'd regret. She was falling in love with him, hell- who was she kidding? She had already been in love with him for a long time. But, knowing that her sister was back in town caused Elena's stomach to tighten and the realization that she was about to fool around once again with Stefan, a still married man- hit Elena hard.

Elena gritted her teeth as she felt Stefan's hand on her back, his body moving towards her and causing her to involuntarily lay back on to the blanket, he was hovering over her when he spoke with a sweet and seductive laced tone. "So, then we'll be together on borrowed time, just for a moment. For long as we can." He whispered against her ear, lifting himself to look down at her as both of his soft and warm hands cupped Elena's heated cheeks and he leaned into her, kissing her lips roughly and tasting the sweet taste of strawberries upon her tongue.

Elena's arms wrapped around him tightly, pulling him down so that he was on top of her. Elena laughed as she felt Stefan roll them over and she ended up straddling his torso as she leaned back down to kiss him, watching Stefan's hand lift up, slipping through her hair. "We're being really stupid.." She remarked again, hearing Stefan laugh as he leaned up on his elbows, becoming Elena level with her when he smiled as he said. "You keep saying that. But, your not stopping me from..doing anything." Stefan added with a smirk, hearing Elena's voice drop when she felt his hand slither underneath her shirt and she lost her train of thought at the feeling of both of his soft and warm hands undoing her bra.

"So, you can let me stop anytime..Just say the word." Stefan commented with a grin, his green eyes glistening as he watched Elena open her mouth, leaning towards him. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his face when she replied with a firm and confident. "No. I don't want you to stop. Keep going..." Elena urged him on, she could see the hope in Stefan's eyes return as he shifted his body to be closer towards her and just when he was about to open his mouth to speak, Elena's finger on his lips stopped him. "No talking though, it's overrated." Elena laughed with a wink, pulling Stefan's hands so that they were both under her shirt when she leaned into him again, grinding her hips against his and smirking when she kissed his lips, hearing him groaning against her mouth as she backed away and whispered. "Borrowed time, I like that..I like living on borrowed time, with you. It's going to make things a lot more passionate."

* * *

**A/N: Please feel free to leave me a review/comment. They really do mean a lot to me and I absolutely love hearing your thoughts! :) Hope you all enjoyed this update.**


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twenty-One**

" _You'll be alone, forever."_ Katherine huffed out an annoyed breath as she thought about Elijah's words. It was harder than she thought being back in the city that she had loved so much. Chicago had felt like her home for years. But, now..things felt out of place. She felt out of place and she would do anything to just feel as powerful as she once did.

Maybe Elijah had been right all along, she really didn't belong anymore. Katherine dubbed 'the Queen of Chicago.' By all her glitz and glory, all the people who gushed over her- about how wonderful she was. Was now looked at in a different light-mostly by her inner circle. Katherine was now seen as the woman who faked her own kidnapping and had been double crossed by her own sister.

And, she wanted it to change, she was desperate for her tarnished image to change. Although, she knew that her scheming ways wouldn't allow for her to do so. At a young age, she had learned to lie and as she got older, she had become one of the best damn liars that anyone had ever seen, scheming an manipulating until she got exactly what she wanted. It got her everything, lying had gotten Katherine all the way to the top of the high class social ladder and she didn't want to lose her title of being so well known in the city. She was ready to stop at nothing to get what she wanted, even if it meant hurting the ones that were the closest to her- including, her once darling husband...Stefan.

Katherine pushed her way into Dasells through the glass double doors. Smiling to herself as one of the guards named Henry waved her through with a polite smile. "Good evening, Mrs. Salvatore." He said, watching as she pulled out a $50 dollar bill from her white clutch and she leaned towards him, asking. "Can you give me the key to my husband's office? He left some things behind and I know that none of you usually allow anyone back here at all at this time of day. However, what I need is very important." She smiled sweetly at him, batting her eye lashes as the thin and dark jet black haired security guard nodded at her.

"Okay. But, just this once." He commented, handing her an extra key card that Stefan had.

"Thank you, Henry. I'll make sure that my husband gives you a very well deserved Christmas bonus, this year!" Katherine winked at him, pivoting on her heels and hurrying to the elevators.

As the doors closed and she pressed the button to go up to the 5th floor, she leaned her head back against the elevator car and exhaled deeply when she pulled out her cell phone, her fingers hovering over his name.

It hadn't taken very long to get to where she needed to be and when she stepped out of the elevator, her expensive purple Jessica Simpson pumps hitting the carpet, she straightened out her black pencil skirt and her white long sleeve thin blouse that exposed her black tank top underneath before walking further down the hall. Katherine smirked to herself as she glanced around the empty hallway and walked straight to Stefan's office. Her fingertips hovered over this name that was engraved into a plaque on the door. Katherine exhaled, sliding the key card and pushing the door open until it creaked open and she switched the lights on.

Stefan's office faced a few of the largest city sky scrapers, a few floors up allowed the ceiling to floor windows to get a lot of light during the night time and it illuminated the room. She inhaled deeply as she smelt the smell of him, his own musky smell that was mixed with a hint of scotch. She knew that he didn't drink anymore. Although, when she walked over to the large wooden oak desk in the middle of the room that was faced towards the overlook of the city, she sat down in his dark brown leather chair and exhaled deeply, running her hands over the wood in front of her and quietly wondering if he had any scotch left over in his office. Because, if she needed to get her plan to work, she needed a drink first.

"Oh, honey. It really does break my heart that you left this place, oh so suddenly." She murmured to herself as she leaned her head back against the large office chair and closed her eyes for a moment. She felt herself slipping, so she straightened herself up, pushing closer towards the desk when she grabbed her cell phone back into her hands and finally dialed his number.

The ringing of the other line buzzed into her ears and when his cell phone went straight to voice mail, she sighed an annoyed breath. Katherine smiled as she leaned back into the chair and placed her legs up onto his desk, admiring her dark purple shoes when she spoke into the phone with her overly sweet voice that she only used when she needed to get what she wanted. "Sweetheart, it's your wife. Remember me? Look, if you're not busy screwing my sister tonight. I was thinking we could meet at Dasells or I could come to you, since you know- rehab curfews and all that. I have something to discuss with you. I've been thinking, Stefan. And, I figured that it's time we change things between us. I want a divorce too, Stefan. Although, under one condition. Call me back, because if you don't...I will have to get your attention the only way I know how nowadays, through the media and that, my darling. Won't be very pretty."

* * *

Their clothing lay in a pile near the blanket that he had placed under them. Stefan kissed her overheated flesh feverishly and quickly as she rolled her hips against his pelvis, her long fingernails scrapping his back when he pulled Elena closer, his fingertips slipping underneath her red lacy underwear. "Lace..Hmm...Nice choice." Stefan mumbled against her lips as Elena closed her eyes when she felt his finger slid up and down her already wet core, teasing her throbbing pelvic area. She was going crazy for him, her body and emotions on overdrive and she wanted him now, more than she had ever wanted him in the past.

She moaned out a breath as she opened her eyes, whimpering out as Stefan let out a small laugh and he continued to touch her between her legs, his finger brushing up and down her inner thighs, lowering her underwear until she felt them glide down her skin. "Don't stop. Please." Elena bit out between breathes, trying to lean forward to touch his face. But just as quickly as she began to lift her hand, she felt Stefan's lips against her wrist, he was smiling.

"I don't plan on it, I don't plan on it at all. Actually, I was thinking we could do this all night." He told her jokingly, breathlessly, removing his hand from her lower body and pressing his lips against her over heated skin again, his arms pulling her closer and his body aching for her. Stefan wanted to be with her, he wanted more than anything to have the time between them be perfect- even if it was such short time that they had been given.

"Enough talking...More of this..." Elena said, her voice cracking as she felt his body shift and just when she was about to open her mouth to speak some more, her words turned into a jumbled mess of thoughts when he thrust himself inside of her, feeling her leg leg wrap around him, the weight of it, pushing him further into her. Stefan kissed her neck, licking and nipping at her skin, her breathing filling his ears, becoming heavier and heavier with every touch and kiss, every thrusting motion that he made. He felt Elena's hand's glide down his chest, moving towards his back as she pulled him closer, so that their bodies were a mangled mess of skin, sweat and friction.

She was at a loss, sweat dripping over her forehead as she pressed up against him and rested her head upon Stefan's shoulder. With all of Elena's strength, she pulled her body closer. She wanted to feel him. And she did just that. With every inch of him and the movement of her hands gliding down his backside, her fingertips pressing against him as she urged him to continue. Elena felt euphoria, like she didn't have a care in the world and then it happened, her name rippled off of his lips and directly into her ears, causing her to push herself away, stroking his face with her fingertips gently, she smiled and locked her eyes on to him.

Stefan lowered her body down against the ground with sheer care as she felt him lower himself down her body again, leaving hot and moistened kisses up and down her flesh, from her neck all the way down to her belly button.

"I love you, Elena." He said, causing her head to nearly shoot up off the ground, her fingers gripping his hair in between her tight grasp when she pulled him back up towards her face, she smiled at him. Elena's hands were placed on both sides of Stefan's hot and red cheeks when she lifted her head and whispered against his lips, just before leaving a searing kiss against them. "I love you, too. Stefan, please don't let me go."

* * *

They lay in the field, her naked body pressed up against his. She could hear his pounding heart racing and she smiled at the thought of her being the cause of it. "We should get back." Stefan commented in a soft and barely there tone as he leaned down and kissed the top of Elena's head, his hands running through her dark brown hair when she nodded without speaking.

"When am I going to see you again?" She asked him suddenly, feeling him exhale deeply before he replied. "I..umm...Soon, I hope. I'm making progress with my therapy and counseling sessions. So, I think I'll be out in a few months. Maybe, sooner." He told her in a hopeful tone, his arm lifting away from her body. Elena frowned a bit when she watched him get up, leaving her laying there in a cold state, his touch leaving a warmness that she loved and in the moment, not being near him made her shiver.

"Stefan, I meant what I said to you today. I love you. And, after all of this is over. I want to be with you. I-" Elena began to say, watching him lift himself up, picking up his pants as he turned back towards her, exhaling deeply when he stood up straight and placed them back on.

"We both know that we can't really be together until I divorce her, Elena. You said it yourself. We won't work until, Katherine's gone. I love you. I'm falling in love with you and you're the only person that I can be myself with. I just...Until I end it with her- completely, we'll never really be together, like either of us want." He told her bluntly, causing Elena to scoff at his words.

"Why are you being like this. Stefan, I just said that because-." Elena began to say as he leaned down and locked his eyes on to her. "Because, we both know it's true. Katherine refuses to divorce me for some idiotic reason. But, hopefully that'll change. And, once it does. You and I can have a life together. When I come home from rehab, a lot of things will change. I promise. We're going to be together, Elena. And, I don't give a damn what her or anyone else thinks about it."

Stefan was losing hope for their situation and it was showing in his green gaze as he helped Elena up right after she got dressed again. They walked silently back towards the car, the only sound being heard was their footsteps that crunched against a few branches and leaves on the ground. Elena felt his hand leave hers as he walked towards the trunk and placed the blanket that he had brought with them into the back of the car.

"I don't want to go back to the clinic. But, I have to. Honestly, I wish I could spend every waking moment with you. It's crazy, I know. But, I miss you, every time I'm there- every time you leave me. All I can think about is you. I miss you like crazy." He told her, watching Elena's head rise from it's lock that she had on her shoes.

"Stefan-." Elena began to say. But just as she opened her mouth to speak, Stefan stepped in front of her, placing his now cool hands on to her cheeks. Elena felt her body being pushed back against the car when he kissed her, leaning her back against the hood of the car, his hands sliding underneath her shirt, his tongue teasing hers as she pulled him down against her, deepening the kiss.

"Stefan..We can't..You need to go..Remember?" Elena said breathlessly when she pulled away from him, her hands automatically slipping into his hair.

"I know. But, I just thought I'd try changing your mind." He told her sweetly, kissing her cheek and helping her back up as he opened the car door for her and smiled. "You're right. We do need to get back. So, let's go before I end up being completely inappropriate with you." He commented with a wink, watching as Elena smiled as she stepped underneath his arm and sat in the passenger seat, watching Stefan close the door and walk to the other side of the car, smiling at her widely.

* * *

"Daddy...Can we stay here tonight?" Sarah asked him with a hopeful gaze and a smile on her face. Klaus watched as his daughter wiped her hands with a napkin, the aromas of the dinner that they had just finished eating, still in the air when Sarah turned towards her aunt Rebekah.

"Auntie, Bekah. Can mommy and I stay here tonight, with daddy?" She asked Rebekah who was leaning her head back, staring up at the now darkening sky above them.

They had been sitting out on the patio for a few hours and as the day turned into night, Rebekah had been spending most of her time talking about how excited Damon was knowing that he was going to be a father.

"Sweetie. I don't know. It's up to your mommy." She replied in a sweet tone, leaning forward and pushing Sarah's blonde hair out of her face. Caroline watched as Rebekah smiled at her and then glanced over at her brother who was still sitting just a little further than usual away from his beloved wife.

"Honey, I think we should go home for the night. Don't you want to sleep in your big girl bed tonight?" Caroline asked her, hearing Klaus let out an exhale as he placed his hand on to Caroline's shoulder and leaned towards her ear, whispering. "Stay, Caroline. Let us be together tonight. I miss you and I miss Sarah. She can stay in one of the rooms. Please, just for tonight." His voice was pleading as he watched Caroline glance over at him and then she turned his attention towards his daughter who was shaking her head 'no' at her mother's words.

"Sweetie-." Caroline began to say as Rebekah smiled and clapped her hands together, smiling.

"It's totally okay with us if you three decide to stay at the mansion tonight. I mean, technically it isn't a 'mansion.' But, it does have like 10 bedrooms. Pick one and stay. Just for the night until you figure things out." She told them, hearing Klaus exhale deeply as he pushed himself up from the patio chair. "Okay. Sarah, you heard your aunt. We're staying here tonight. So, how about you go wash up and your mom and I will be inside the house in a just a few minutes to pick our rooms for tonight." He told her, watching Sarah's blue eyes widen when she nearly jumped out of her chair, excitedly ran towards the house, smiling widely when she looked back at her dad.

"Klaus..I don't-." Caroline began to say as she felt his hand pressed up against her back, stopping her words.

"I know. But, we need to try to get back to normal and sleep overs here with us have always been normal for Sarah. So, tonight...We're sleeping over." He told her firmly, the loss of contact from his hand leaving a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach when he removed his hand away from her.

"It's going to take a long time for us to be what we once were, Caroline. But, we need to try, we owe it to Sarah and ourselves to try." He commented, glancing over at Rebekah and his wife before heading back into the house where he overhead Sarah talking to Damon about the fact that she was sleeping over.

* * *

They had driven back to the clinic in silence, Stefan kissed her cheek before exiting the car and heading towards the entrance doors, watching as Elena rolled down her window and watched him go, waving to him as he disappeared out of sight.

He was tired and not in the mood for small talk what so ever when one of the counselors at the facility checked him back in on time. Stefan leaned his body against the desk as she smiled and then she glanced up at him. "Stefan, oh that's right. Your wife, Katherine was here earlier, she was looking for you. Said it was urgent." The woman informed him as he exhaled deeply, annoyance crawling all over his body at the thought of Katherine looking for him.

His eyes widen as he tapped his fingers against the desk, turning on his heels as he thanked the counselor before heading down the hall, back into his room. Stefan turned the light on, taking a step back against the closed door when he looked up and heard her voice when she came into full view. "I was hoping you'd be back here soon, before I left and had to result in even bigger measures to get your attention. However, this worked out perfectly. Miss me, sweetie?"

"Katherine. How did you get in here? These doors are secured, no one except for staff and myself are allowed back here. What do you want?" Stefan hissed out in an angered tone, every step he took towards her was lacking it's usual confidence and Katherine observed it quickly.

"Huh. Funny you asked. I actually want the same thing you do. Although, I was hoping for a bit more added into our deal." She told him, pushing herself up off the bed and stepping towards him, running her fingers over his chest as she leaned into him and smirked. "You smell like perfume, that isn't mine of course and you smell like hot and passionate, sex..Hmm, by the way. How's screwing my sister working out for you? Do you ever utter out my name when you look at her. That would be really, awkward." Katherine said, pushing her hand off of his chest as she stepped to his side, grinning.

"Katherine, my relationship with Elena. Is none of your god damn business. So, stop wasting my time and tell me. Why are you here?" Stefan questioned in an angered tone, hearing Katherine laugh a little.

"No need to get all tense, Stefan. I just came to negotiate with my amazingly hot husband. You know, you've always been even hotter when you'd get angry." She commented with a wink, crossing her legs over each other when she sat back on to his bed, leaning back on her elbows, watching Stefan run his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I don't want you here. You need to leave." He said in a warning tone, hearing her laugh as she pushed herself back up and smiled. "I really don't want to be here either. I'd rather be spending my time trying to find out a place to live. Since, I'm obviously not welcome in my own home anymore. So, let's cut to the chase. I'm here to talk about that divorce...I want it, Stefan. Although-." Katherine began to say, quickly closing her mouth as Stefan shot her a hateful glance.

"You came all this way to tell me that you've decided that you want the divorce now? Ha, are fucking kidding me?" Stefan spat out, glaring at her.

"Stop being so hateful towards me, sweetheart. Always remember, you loved me once. Actually, you loved me first. Stefan, I just want my portion of your company- Dasells. I want it placed into our divorce settlement." Katherine told him in a truthful tone, her lips pursed together.

"You want a portion of my business? Ha, you already have a part of that, Katherine! Because, we're still married!" Stefan shouted, taking a step closer towards her, stepping in between her legs, his eyes full of irritation.

"Actually, let me rephrase that and make myself a lot more clear." She said, pausing and placing her hand on to Stefan's chest, licking her lips when she got up, sliding her body up against his, very slowly.

They were standing so close that Stefan could feel her breath on his face, a mixture of scotch and mint. She'd been drinking and yet, she was acting completely rational. Which for Katherine, was a rarity.

"What do you want?" Stefan asked her again, watching as Katherine batted her eye lashes at him, leaning into his ear when she whispered. "I want all of the company, Stefan. I want every piece of it, including all the shares you have, a portion of your offshore bank accounts too and I will stop at nothing until you give it to me. Because, if you don't, I'll go to the media and I will tell everyone the truth about us. I'll tell the world that you've been sleeping with my twin sister, the same woman who's been parading around this town as me for the last year. Believe me, if that doesn't make you hand it over, then I'll keep going until I ruin you and, you'll have no other option."

Katherine pushed Stefan out of the way as he pulled her towards his body by her arm, whispering in an even equally threatening tone. "You do that. And, I'll expose you just as badly. All those people who love you for the facade that you put on for them. Will see you for the bitch that you truly are. This is between you and I. Not, Elena."

Katherine sighed, smiling as she glanced over at him and took his hand away from her arm. "We'll see about that, Stefan. I'm going to go draw up the divorce plans and make a few requests. If you're smart and if you want to keep your precious, Elena out of our dirty laundry. I suggest you give me what I want. Remember, Stefan. This is Chicago, I can easily make someone disappear without a trace and something tells me that my sister would be the perfect candidate. Now, you think about that when you try to tell me again that I only get a portion of a company that I helped build up to where is it. It's all because of me that Dasell's is the most well known antiques business in this city. Just in case you forgot, It's all because of me that we're where we are today. I made this company, Stefan. I'm the true face of it. " Katherine told him, her hand grabbing the door handle when she heard Stefan let out a laugh.

"You're the face of Dasells? Ha, I don't think so. I worked my ass off, this company was given to me and I'm the one who created it into a multi million dollar company with hard work and long sleepless nights. So, before you go running your mouth off and telling people that you're responsible for the success of everything that I've done to get us here. I'd think twice about it. Because, we both know it's a lie, Katherine. And, personally. I know how well you are at lying. Now, if you want a war started with me, sweetie. You've got one. I'm not giving you Dasells. It's my company and you, don't deserve it."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Katherine...She's just a scheming little witch isn't she? Also, anyone else find that SE moment kind of cute?**

**Please feel free to leave me a review, I love hearing what my readers think.**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twenty-Two**

"I don't deserve it? Ha, we'll see about that" Katherine commented, her hand opening the door as she took a step out into the hallway. But was stopped when she heard Stefan's voice.

"Why do you want my company so badly, Katherine! Just tell me the truth, for once in your life. Tell me that-." Stefan began to say as Katherine pivoted on her heels and turned back around to face him once again, stepping back into his room and shutting the door behind her.

"You want the truth? Fine, I'll be completely honest with you and tell you the truth. I slept with Mason Lockwood when we were together and I had a son. I got pregnant with another man's child, Stefan. That's why I faked my own kidnapping, made everyone believe that I was dead because I couldn't face you and tell you that instead of being the loyal wife that you deserve. That, I screwed up again, that I have a weakness for very powerful men and because of it, everyone around me suffers. I want your company because I want to leave something behind one day for my son to have and I want to move on with my life, from the mess that I've made, I want to come clean about it all. You're right, I don't deserve it one bit. But, my son deserves a future and needs to be well taken care by his mother, at least I can do something right- for him." She explained to him, watching as he stood near the door, his face contorting into a scowl as tears began to run down Katherine's cheeks.

"I should have known that you were up to no good. Why Mason Lockwood though? Why wasn't I not good enough for you? Was it because Elijah and Mason, promised you way more things than I ever could? I worked day and night, I worked relentlessly to make us work and this is how you repay me? By, cheating on me- not with just one guy- But, two. I'm sorry, Katherine. I really am. But, that won't change my answer. I'm not giving you a dime and even if I did hand you over Dasells, I know for a fact that the company would go belly up within a few years time. Because, you'd be careless with it. Just like you are with everything else in your life. All you care about is yourself!" He shouted at her, rubbing his face over his hands vigorously as he exhaled deeply and watched her cross her arms over her chest.

"You are wrong. I care about my son and I cared about you, Stefan. I did..We just- you worked too much and I hated it. It was like we were living in two different worlds, completely. I loved you once, I won't deny that. I want you to know that I did...I really did and I thought we would make it, that we could make it. But, it wasn't you, Stefan. It was me, I was the problem...I've always wanted more than you could give me..." Her voice trailed off as she wiped away the tears from her rosy cheeks and inhaled sharply when Stefan asked her a question, a demanding tone in his voice.

"Does Mason know that he has a son? Are you sure the child is even his or have you been trying to pass him off as mine?" Stefan asked her, his eyes locked on to Katherine's face. He could sense the fear in her voice when she cleared her throat and spoke. "He has no idea that Ethan is his child. I never got the chance to tell him, and I don't plan on telling him. Ethan's just fine living without a father figure in his life, Stefan. He doesn't need that. He just needs a mom, who will stop at nothing to give him the life he deserves. That is all I want, Stefan. All I want is for him to be looked after, if something were to ever happen to me. I want to fix my wrongs by him." Katherine explained, watching Stefan's face soften a little as he smiled at her and exhaled deeply.

"You want me to just hand over my company to you after everything you've done to me, because you suddenly feel you want to be a decent person? Katherine, I know that you're trying to be all motherly now. And, I get it. I do. You hid out, you lied and cheated about everything to everyone and now, once you had a baby, you have a need to feel responsible. I get it. However, you've done nothing to show me that you actually deserve a part of Dasell's. I'm sorry. But, once I divorce you, I'm making sure that you only get what you're entitled too, absolutely nothing more than that." Stefan commented, watching Katherine inhale a deep breath as she turned back towards the front door of his bedroom, opening the door with tears in her eyes.

"I wish that we could have turned out differently, Stefan. I wish that I would have been a better wife to you, hell..Some days, I wish that Ethan was your son and not Mason's. You would have been the perfect husband and an even better father, and you probably will be- all of that to someone who deserves you.. I'm sorry for everything, I've done and everything I'm about to do..I want you to know that." Katherine said, swallowing the lump in her throat as she heard Stefan faintly tell her to get out, whispering just a bit. "It's too late for apologies, Katherine. Once, I leave here. You'll be hearing from my lawyer about the divorce. And, you've done enough to hurt me, I couldn't imagine what else you are capable of."

He watched her pivot of her heels, looking down at the floor with a sinister smile, that confidence that he had seen 1,000 times spilling over into her gaze when she locked her eyes on to him and added. "I'm very capable of a lot of things, Stefan. And, believe me, you've seen nothing yet."

* * *

"So, how was the date?" Bonnie asked when Elena stepped into the darkened apartment, the only light on was a lamp in the small two bedroom apartment.

"It was good." Elena explained with a vague answer, hearing Bonnie laugh and watching her throw a pillow at her that grazed Elena's shoulder. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You're smiling way more than I have ever seen before and you came home kind of late, Elena. 'It was good' doesn't even cover your night. Now, seriously..How was your date with Stefan?" Bonnie questioned her again, watching Elena slip her shoes off and sit down beside her on the grey colored couch in the living room.

"He's amazing, Bon...I'm in love with him. But, there isn't anything that I can do about it until Katherine's out of the picture for good. I mean, he loves me, I know that he does. But, she's back in town now and that bothers me more than you now. I hate it. I hate that she thinks that she can just screw everything up and then come back into her old life like nothing ever happened. She hurt him, she hurt me and everyone she loved. Although, most of all- she's hurt herself the most. She's made herself look like a gold digging, two timing slut." Elena commented, feeling Bonnie's hand squeeze her kneecap as she glanced over at her and laughed.

"It's because, that's what Katherine is, Elena. She may be your sister and you two may look nearly completely identical. But, Katherine's manipulative, she's sneaky and from the sounds of it, if she see's something that she wants, she doesn't stop until she gets it. So, my advice is keep Stefan close to you, no matter what."

"I'm not worried about her relationship with Stefan. He's made it clear that they are done. Although, I'm more worried about myself and Katherine." Elena emphasized as Bonnie gave her a confused look. "Why would your relationship with your sister be worrisome. Look, not everyone in Chicago has to know that Katherine and you are twins. I mean, I'm sure a lot of people in her inner circle have figured it out by now. But-."

Elena shook her head. "It's not that, Bonnie. I don't care if every media outlet in the world knows that her and I are related. What I'm more concerned about is being compared to Katherine, once the story leaks. Because, part of me thinks that it will soon with her back in town and, she's just waiting around for her opportunity to have the attention shifted off of her and on to me." Elena explained, hearing Bonnie exhale deeply.

"So, if and when the story hits the front news pages, because- it will. What are you going to do about it?" Bonnie asked Elena as she watched her lean her head back against the couch cushions.

"I want to do what I should have done a long time ago. I want to separate myself from Katherine Salvatore the best that I can. I don't want to be seen as 'Katherine's long lost sister that's just like her.' I want to be seen differently. I need to make a name for myself, one that doesn't make me look like I'm as bad as Katherine is. I need to get a job and I need to start making my own life possible, instead of living in her shadow." Elena commented, watching Bonnie nod when she smiled and added. "Well, if you want a somewhat high profile job, I'm sure that Caroline Mikealson would be more than happy to find you one."

"Why can't I just be normal and work with you at the homeless shelter, Bonnie. I don't need a high profile job. I just need to make my own money and to get on my own two feet again, that's all. And as far as Caroline goes, she'd probably laugh in my face once I explained everything to her and then asked for a job." Elena said, listening Bonnie let out a breath when she smiled and glanced over at her friend.

"You never know, Elena. I would ask her and see what she would say, tell her the truth. I mean, out of all of those people in that group, Caroline seemed the most accepting of you." Bonnie said with a smile, turning her head towards Elena when she added. "And, from what you've told me, the girl sounds like she has a great fashion taste. I could totally see the three of us, being friends."

Elena laughed, rubbing her face with her hands when she softly replied. "Okay, I'll call Caroline and talk to her. Maybe she can help me understand my own sister too. Because, I'm baffled by her and her antics."

* * *

It had been too long since they had shared a bed together like this, Caroline thought as she rolled over on to her side and felt Klaus's arms pull her near, whispering softly against skin. "I've missed you and this..a lot." He said, kissing her cheeks when Caroline grabbed a hold of his hand into her own and exhaled deeply.

She had missed him, the scent of Klaus and the feeling of his arms around her when they'd sleep in the same bed. She missed waking up to him and falling asleep in his arms late at night after they'd stay up, talking about almost everything and anything.

"I have too. I've missed you so much." Caroline confessed, turning in his arms to face him, leaning into her husband and kissing his lips gently.

"I'm sorry for putting you through so much. You didn't deserve it, Klaus. I'm-." Caroline began to say as she felt his hands slide down her arms and he rubbed her skin with his fingertips, lifting one of his hands up to brush a few strands of her blonde hair out of her face, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose before he spoke directly to her.

"Forgiveness is a hard thing to do. But, we'll work on it together, Caroline. We all make mistakes and we all hurt the ones we love. Although, we need to forgive each other and ourselves, until we can completely move on from it all. I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I almost gave up on us, on you." He told her, his voice trailing off as he choked on his words a bit and watched with a tearful gaze when Caroline lifted her hand and gave him a saddened smile, whispering into the cool and dark room. "It's okay, Klaus. It's just like you said, we need to work at it to rebuild what we had. We're going to be okay, I promise. I'm going to make sure of it." Caroline told him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down towards her as her lips found his and she kissed him tenderly, relishing in the feeling of his arms holding her tightly and the sound of his voice, telling her that he still loved her, even after everything.

* * *

"Back so soon, I thought we had come to the conclusion. That you aren't welcome here." Damon told her when she sauntered into the house that she once called her home, her high heels in her hands as Katherine smiled and placed her purse on to the counter.

"What do you want, Damon?" Katherine questioned, rolling her eyes at him and placing her hands on to her hips.

"I want you out of our lives, Katherine. I mean, let's be honest. There is nothing for you here anymore...I heard about your little boyfriend, skipping town. Why didn't you go with him?" Damon pressed her, watching Katherine turn away from him for a moment, focusing in an old picture of her and Stefan as she spoke in a distant tone.

"Because, I still have unfinished things to do here, Damon and the less you know about it all. The better off you'll be. Now, will you excuse me. I need to go sleep in one of my many rooms, seeing that this still is my house and I'm still your brother's wife! Now, goodnight, Damon." She said in an agitated tone, picking up her purse and cell phone, walking down the hall with quickened steps, Katherine leaned against the wall as she inhaled a sharp breath and looked around the empty hallway that lead up a flight of stairs and on to the second floor of the house, down the hallway and directly into Stefan's office.

She smiled to herself when she took the few short steps and slipped into his home office, gently closing the door behind her and flipping her purse over so that all the contents spilled out on to the table, the bright lights shining over everything. Katherine quietly sat in Stefan's leather office chair, kicking up her bare feet and staring at the pile in front of her. Most of the items were papers that involved information on Dasells and a few random things that she had kept in her purse for a while now, a picture of Ethan being something that stood out. Although, what stood out the most, was the stack of 7 straps of $100 dollar bills that she had found at Dasells in an unlocked and unmarked box in Stefan's office when she rummaged through his things and that caused her heart to flutter as she thought about the one thing she wanted to do with that portion of money.

She inhaled sharply before she pulled out her cell phone and began dialing a phone number that caused her stomach to tighten a bit, a number she knew all too well. "Elijah, it's me...I've been thinking about what you said and, I don't want to be alone anymore. Look, I know that we left things pretty uneasy between us. However, I want us to start over, somewhere far away from this town. It's brought me nothing but misery. I want a new life and a new start, Elijah and I want it with you. Call me back, I have a plan and I have money, lots of it, that could get us far away from here and into a new life that we both really want." Katherine said, sighing out a breath before she hung up and placed her hands on to the table, tapping her long fingernails against the wood. "It's time it all comes out in to the open." Katherine mumbled under her breath as she smiled to herself and dialed one last number, nervously waiting for someone to answer and when the endless ringing just went to voicemail, she froze just a bit.

"Hi, my name is Katherine Salvatore and I was hoping that I could speak with someone from your newsroom. I have a story that I'd like to pitch to the KNTV newsroom, it would really pay off if you called me back about this. Let's just say that if you run my little story on your nightly or morning time slot. You won't regret it, at all." Katherine said with a smug smile, leaning back into Stefan's chair and ending her phone call as she closed her eyes. In a few days, everything was about to change and it would turn everyone's lives upside down, all because of one phone call and the only person who would be ready for it to call come crashing down, would be the one in the middle of it all...Katherine.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Katherine...spilling secrets to the media...She's just lovely- isn't she?! ;) More goodness to come!**

**Please feel free to Read & Review. I love hearing what you all have to say. **


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation-Chapter Twenty-Three**

"Good morning Chicago This is your local news anchor Alicia Miller with KNTV. In local news this morning, Chicago's most gossiped about and loved socialite, Katherine Salvatore is in our studios. Mrs. Salvatore has had quite a year and she's here to share some of it with all us." The young anchor elaborated as the camera panned over to Katherine and she smiled a overly sweet and yet underlined malicious smile right before it turned away from her and back towards the news anchor.

"So, Katherine...Please feel free to indulgence into your world as one of the most powerful and rich women in the city. I'm sure all of our viewers would love to know a bit more about your life Is it true that you raised around 6,000 dollars for one of your beloved charities for children?" Alicia asked as Katherine nodded and placed her hands on to the table in front of them, the light shining down on her as she placed a few pieces of her long curly brown hair behind her ears, smiling when she cleared her throat- the mood in the room instantly changing to a tense atmosphere.

"Well, yes it is true, Alicia. But, I'm not really hear to discuss anything about my charities. The real reason I wanted to be here today was because I wanted to share a few truths about my life that have been over exaggerated in the media lately and to be honest, I wanted to clarify a few things." Katherine told her as the anchor gave her a confused look and she shrugged her shoulders back, smiling widely.

"Oh. Well, I for one know that there have been a few stories about you that haven't seemed very nice or usual to your character. One in particular is about your husband, the CEO of Dasell's Antiques, Stefan Salvatore. It's so unfortunate about his time in rehab. But, I surely hope that he is getting the treatment that he needs. So, I guess today's the day, folks. Katherine Salvatore herself is clearing up those pesky rumors." Alicia said as the camera turned back to Katherine and she smiled once again, a rush of heat coming over her body before she spoke in a firm tone, directly to the camera.

"You know, it is very unfortunate about my husband and I hope as well that he gets the care he so desperately needs. However, I won't be the one to really sit by his side while he goes through his ups and downs. If you're asking yourself why that is...It's because of this. For the past year, I've been impersonated by a woman who looks just like me. Actually, let me clarify. Her name is Elena Gilbert and she's my long lost twin sister that has ruined and taken over my life..."

Bonnie coffee mug dropped to the ground as she felt the scorching liquid spill over her legs. But, she was too immersed into what was happening on the television to even care. Katherine Salvatore had just thrown Elena Gilbert under a bus and as she uttered the truth on national television. Bonnie swore that she could hear the collective gasps of the news crew as they all sat silently, listening to Katherine explain more.

"You see. My amazing and dotting husband, Stefan. Isn't just a drug addict. He's also a cheater and a fool for falling in love with my twin sister. Because, let's face it- there can only be one woman who claims his heart. And, I'm pretty sure that I did that first. I just really want to move on from all of this. And, I'm sure that Stefan does too."

"Move on? Oh my god!" Bonnie blurted out as she got up from the couch she had been sitting on, too glued to the television and the events unfolding on the screen to even shout out Elena's name. But, just as she opened her mouth, she heard it- a high pitched shrinking noise coming from Elena's bedroom.

"What the hell is going on, Bonnie!" I just opened my bedroom window and there are dozens of paparazzi downstairs, trying to snap photos of me from the apartment window...Is that Katherine?" Elena explained as she stepped out of her bedroom in her gray colored pajama pants and a white t-shirt, gawking at the television screen when she saw Katherine's interview be finalized and they repeated the words "And, today you've heard it folks. Right from the direct source herself. "

"What did she do? Bonnie, what did Katherine do!" Elena screamed as Bonnie turned around towards her, the color draining from her face as she opened her mouth and just as she did, Elena glanced up to see the breaking news headline flashing across the screen "Katherine Salvatore reveals the truth about long lost sister, Elena Gilbert. "

* * *

Elena sat in silence as Bonnie grabbed a hold of her hand and waited. She wasn't really sure what she was waiting for, maybe it was for Elena to breakdown and cry, maybe it was for Elena to scream and yell, to say that she wanted to leave Chicago for good and never once look back. Although, they both knew that leaving wasn't an option anymore.

"Elena...What are you going to do?" Bonnie asked in a soft tone, watching as Elena sat stone faced, staring blankly at the television. She was in shock and yet, deep down she knew that it was only a matter of time that the truth about who she really was came out into the limelight.

"I...I need to go talk to her about what she just did." Elena commented, exhaling deeply and lifting her legs off the couch as Bonnie shook her head.

"If you walk out there right now, you'll be playing off your emotions and anger. Elena, I don't recommend it. Please, think this through. Katherine has a plan and you being in the middle of all of this is part of it. Elena, you don't want to go see her." Bonnie urged as she watched Elena scoop up her long brown hair into a ponytail, exhaling with tears in her eyes.

"I knew that this day was going to come. I knew that I couldn't keep living a lie. But, this isn't just about me. It's about everything that's about change. Stefan is in recovery right now for being an addict, this isn't what he needs- believe me, it isn't and Katherine clearly forgot about that. The media won't leave us alone now. It's been quiet for so long and then Katherine came back...flipping everything upside down without thinking about the consequences. I knew that the possibility of having everyone find out that I wasn't Katherine would be my consequence. I knew that! But, the fall out that's about to hit the people that Katherine so called "cares about" and that will hit Stefan is going to be irreparable. Because, now- the media won't stop with just my story...They'll dig deeper and deeper until they know everything about all of us and clearly Katherine won't stop until I'm gone, either!" Elena exclaimed, walking back towards her room as Bonnie huffed out a breath.

"What else is there to hide, Elena?" She asked her as Elena gave her a nervous glance and inhaled through gritted teeth before she replied with a straight forward and honest tone. "She has a son, Bonnie. My sister has a son that she's been having our mother secretly take care of for the last few years. And, he's going to suffer because of this. Katherine Salvatore just created her own death sentence in regards to the media outlets because once they find out about him and who the father is. And, the fact that Katherine faked her own kidnapping to protect her child. She'll never live it down. Once everyone see's her for who she really is, they'll destroy her." Elena explained as Bonnie's eyes widen and she watched Elena grab her jacket from the coat rack near the door and slip on her shoes.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked her again as Elena turned and shrugged her shoulders back, her hand was on the door knob to the apartment when she glanced over at Bonnie and replied simply. "I'm going to go have a face to face meeting with my sister. It's been long overdue since we had our last chat."

* * *

"I need to make a phone call." Stefan said to one of the on duty counselors as he cringed while flipping through the news channels. Katherine's 'breaking news' was on nearly every single channel and her interview from the morning was being played and replayed over and over again.

Stefan gripped the phone onto his hands and cursed himself for having not used the cell phone that he had attempted to hide underneath the mattress for emergency situations like these.

"Damon, it's me..Have you heard what happened?" Stefan asked his older brother who had seemed just as shocked as he was when he had turned on the morning news to find Katherine spilling not only one major secret but a few more as well.

"Yeah, I have. She told the damn anchor woman that she's going to be the new CEO of Dasells. And, that was right after she said that Elena's been impersonating her...Stefan, please tell me that you weren't responsible for this." Damon replied as he heard the silence for a moment before Stefan spoke up.

"I had a fight with her, Damon. She came here to tell me that she wanted a divorce and that she didn't care what happened anymore because she wanted to company. We argued about it and I told her that I wouldn't give it to her. Then, that's when she told me...that she'd stop at nothing for it." Stefan's voice trailed off as he leaned his hand against the wall that he stood near by. Katherine was the source of all his problems lately and it was already too late to stop her from causing even more distinction. Because, like always, she seemed to be about five steps ahead of everyone else.

"What are we going to do about her, Stefan? I'm not giving her our company. So, that's out of the question. So, what are we going to do?" Damon asked him in hopes of getting a response. But, all that was heard from the other line was pure silence until Stefan finally uttered out. "We need to figure out what her next move is before she changes it and does something drastic. Katherine loves drama and knowing her..Her next move, will be full of it."

* * *

Elena drove to the house with shaking hands as she weaved through traffic, trying to imagine in her head what their confortation would be like and praying that Katherine would correct everything that she did. The driveway to the house was empty as Elena hoped out of the car, running towards the door and knocking on it excessively, hoping that Isobelle was home.

"Where is she! Katherine! I swear to god if you don't open this door and if you or Isobelle don't tell me why you did it, I'm not leaving...if you doesn't come out here to tell me why you're trying to ruin my life by exposing me on national television. I'm going to-" Elena began to scream frantically as Isobelle's front door, sighing out loudly and trying once more at hoping that someone was home.

"Isobelle open this door, please! Please, just tell me where Katherine is!" Elena shouted again, finally pushing herself away from the door when none came to it. The sound of a dark and tinted windowed car driving up and parking into the driveway caused Elena to stop when she heard Katherine's voice, a chilling tone in her sound as she stepped out of the parked car and on to the parking lot, coming face to face with Elena.

" She isn't home, no one is. But, are you looking for me? Because if you are. I'm glad that you're here. So glad that you finally got the sense to talk to me. My little stunt this morning must have been a real eye opener for you. " Katherine said in a sly tone, stepping in front of Elena and leaning forward when she whispered "Because, that's just the start of it. I'm nowhere near close to spilling the families little secrets...And running you out of this town for good."

Elena's brown eyes widened as she tried to take a step back, clutching her close palms, her nails digging into them as she watched Katherine place her hand across her shoulder, removing it when she hissed out. "You think that it was easy being me, don't you, Elena? However, you have no idea what's to come. I'm going to ruin you and Stefan so badly that he'll have no choice but to hand over ownership to Dasells and stay married to me, because he'll be broke and I'll have his money. Although, one quick question. Does he really know everything there is to know about you. Because, your story is still very mysterious to me." Katherine explained as she watched Elena swallow the lump in her throat, tears threatening to spill over on to her red cheeks.

"Please, Katherine. I'm begging you to leave us alone. Please, just leave us be and move on from Stefan. You have Elijah to toy with. Just leave Stefan out of this. He doesn't love you anymore! Please, Katherine...Don't do-." Elena's pleadings were cut off as she gazed up at Katherine with tears in her watery eyes, watching her twin sister walk back towards the black rolls Royce once again.

"Oh, sweetie. I didn't do anything but expose you for who you really are. You ruining your relationship with Stefan...Will be all on your own doing. However, I'm pretty certain that I'm not the only who was stunned to find out that you were alive and well. You see, when my news segment aired a few hours ago, the news reporter called me saying that she had been contacted by a very charming young man who lives in North Caroline and when he said that he knew you the best out of anyone, although he had feared that you were dead...I just knew that I had to bring him here so that he could see for himself that you're still very much alive." Katherine smirked as Elena's heart pounded against her chest, she felt faint and sick to her stomach when Katherine's hand opened the car door and she laid eyes on the one person in her life that she promised herself that she never wanted to see again.

"Hello, Elena. It's nice to see you again." His voice echoed through the air, causing a chill to go down Elena's spine when their eyes locked on to each other's and all Elena could utter out was his name. "Matt."

* * *


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twenty-Four**

"Wake up, momma! Wake up!" Sarah excitedly said as she tugged on Caroline's thin purple colored night gown and watched as her mother opened her light and sleepy colored blue eyes.

"What's going on?" She asked in a sleepy tone, hearing Klaus let out a small laugh as he rubbed his hand over her soft feeling legs and glanced over at her.

"It's late in the day, love. Time to get up and have some family time with our daughter." He told her, clearing his throat as Sarah smiled at him and jumped off the bed, telling them over her shoulder that she'd be in the living room, waiting.

"I was only supposed to be taking a nap, Klaus! Why did you let me sleep so long?" Caroline questioned in a slight sleepy tone as Klaus smiled and handed her a brochure with what looked like a vacation house on it.

"Because, I've been spending all morning and half of the early afternoon in trying to figure out a way for us to get out of here for a while. I want you and me to go somewhere for a bit, Caroline. I need to fix things with you. Look, I already talked to Rebekah and Damon and they said that they'd be okay with taking care of Sarah just for a few days. So, what do you say..Come away with me." He nearly pleaded, with a smile lingering across his lips.

"Mhhmm. It sounds so tempting, it really does." Caroline murmured as she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around Klaus, smiling at him.

"I'm being serious, Caroline. We could leave tonight and come back in a few days- just the two of us. We need to leave, Chicago for a while." He told her as she sighed out a breath and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, fine. So, let's leave then. But, only for a few days...Since, we both have to come back here and work." Caroline said with a smile as Klaus pulled her against his chest, his eyes locking on to hers for a brief moment as he whispered. "We're going someplace where you've never been before and I promise you that we'll be back in time for all the important things we have waiting here. I just, I want to make things better between us and leaving the city, is the perfect idea."

Caroline grinned as she ran her thin fingernails through his short hair and watched her husband close his eyes to her touch. "Are you sure us leaving is a good idea, Klaus?" She asked him with sudden hesitation as he let out a small laugh and unraveled her arms from around his shoulders as he smiled at her and brought her hands to rest into the palms of his own.

"Of course, it is. Why wouldn't it be?" He questioned, lifting up his hand to caress Caroline's face and smiling sweetly when she closed her eyes before she admitted.

"I don't know. I just have this feeling that something bad is about to happen." She confessed, hearing Klaus sigh out a breath as she opened her eyes and glanced up to see him shaking his head at her words.

"It's this damn city and the people that we're surrounded by, we're living in fear because of it. Nothing bad is going to happen to us or the people we care about, Caroline. Now, let's just get ready to go on this little vacation. Please?" His eyes were begging with her to stop her worrying and Caroline sighed out a loud exhale as she got up from the bed too, standing in front of Klaus as she nodded in agreement. "Okay" She whispered.

"So, where are you taking us?" She asked him with a grin as he leaned into her, kissing her forehead and whispering softly into her ear. "I'm taking us far away from here. And, you're going to love it."

* * *

Matt smiled as he took a few steps closer towards Elena who was visibly shaken up from seeing him. She closed her eyes tightly as if she was waiting for him to hit her or scream at her- like he had done many times before whenever they were together. But, when she felt his arms wrap around her and he gripped on to her tightly, she inhaled sharply- her body stiffening at his touch, feeling for her phone when she stepped away from him and cursing herself as she remembered that she had left it, along with her purse in the car that she been driving.

"Handsome and blue eyed Matty Donovan was kind enough to tell me a little bit more about you, my dear sister." Katherine grinned as she closed the car door and leaned against it, watching as Elena stepped away from Matt, crossing her arms over her chest, her glances around the parking lot were completely uncomfortable when she noticed that there wasn't anyone else but her sister and her ex lover who she had been abused by, 4 years earlier surrounding her. If anything were to happen, there would be no witnesses and no one to find her- if Katherine's plan played out, Elena would be long gone for good.

"Matty here told me that you two used to live together and that you were even engaged to each other while living in North Carolina! Isn't that sweet? He also said that you just disappeared on him for 4 years. He's such a sweetheart that he's been searching for you for years, Elena. All this time, thinking that you were dead when he'd come up empty handed or at a dead end. He was so heartbroken when he called into the station, after hearing my story." Katherine said with a wink as Elena took a step near her, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she leaned forward, grabbing a hold of Katherine's wrist.

"Stefan doesn't know about him. Please, Katherine..Matt isn't a good guy. Please, don't do this to me." Elena choked back her tears as she watched Katherine smile, leaning forward when she whispered in a sinister tone, directly into her sister's face. "I wonder what Stefan's going to think when he finds out about your former lover? Hmm, I'm sure that he's going to leave you. Because, you know- he hates liars and people who aren't very upfront about things when it comes to being in a relationship. Maybe after everything is said and done, he'll toss you out like yesterdays newspaper and he'll forgive me for my sins...All of them."

"I didn't lie to him, Katherine. I told him everything that I felt comfortable telling him. I'm begging you to not say anything to him. Don't ruin this for me. I promise that I'll tell him when I'm ready. I promise that Stefan and I will leave town together and we'll make sure that you get what you want too. Please, Katherine..Leave us alone!" Elena begged as Katherine looked over at Matt and winked, turning her attention back to Elena when she laughed and added. "Elena, I'm just showing you your consequences of living a lie. Just like you did to me, for the last year. You ruined my perfect life. Consider us even, though. Now, that is right after I go comfort my distraught husband when he learns about your little misfortune about leaving town. By the way, he still likes your hair straight, right?"

Elena began to move forward, confusion in her eyes when she asked in a shouted tone. "What, what are you talking about? Katherine, don't you dare go anywhere near him!" Katherine's brown eyes flashed with excitement as she watched Elena's foot hit the ground, when she began stepping back towards the house. Suddenly felt a set of heavy and strong arms held onto Elena's body from behind, pulling her arms behind her back roughly when a dampened wet and cold feeling cloth was placed over her mouth. Elena tried to scream, but instead she inhaled the scent of the odorless liquid, feeling her body slowly weaken and her eyes grow heavy with fatigue. Matt's voice was as evil as Katherine's when he whispered into her ear before she lost consciousness. "It's time you get what's been coming to you, Elena. It's time that you and I have a little chat too."

* * *

It was cold against the floor and the unfurnished room made her stomach tighten, the sound of rats scratching against the walls and the broken water pipes that dripped down from the ceiling made Elena feel uneasy. "Where am I? What is this place!" She demanded to know as she looked around the room that looked like an abandoned building that was used maybe as a paper mill at one point in time.

Matt coughed out a breath, smiling with a wicked and evil smirk as he lifted himself up off the chair that he had been sitting in for the last half hour, waiting for Elena to wake up.

"We're in hiding until I get the go ahead to move you back home with me to North Carolina, tonight. Elena, you were never supposed to even be in Chicago. You were never supposed to live Katherine's life- that is where you made your first mistake. And, falling in love with Stefan Salvatore- was your second one. He doesn't love you. He'll probably never even miss you, either." Matt told her flatly and in a cold tone as she tried to get up and collapsed back on to the floor.

"What did you give me?" She asked him, her eyes feeling blurry and her head feeling as if it weighed a million pounds as she tried to lift herself up off the wooden creaking and cold floor. But, quickly found that she was too weak and sluggish to do so.

"I gave you a mild sedative to keep you calm. You see. Your sister wants her old life back and in doing so, she has to get rid of her main problem- You." Matt said simply as Elena blinked tears back that were now falling down her cheeks. She didn't want this, she didn't want to be in this position or to leave town like this. "I should have a choice! I should leave on my own free will. Please Matt, let me leave. I promise that I won't stay around here, I'll go anywhere, but here. Please, just let me..." Elena begged as Matt got up and pushed her forcefully back on to the ground, glaring at her as he snarled. "Let you do what? As far as I'm concerned, you've already done enough damage. If you hadn't been mistaken for Katherine by Stefan, none of this would have happened and we wouldn't be here right now. This is all your doing and I'm just here to correct your mistakes. Tying up loose ends, as they say."

" Loose ends? I'm a loose end! How much did she pay you, Matt? What did she promise you!" Elena screamed, watching as Matt tilted his head to the side, his fingertips brushing back Elena's long brown hair. He smiled when she shuttered at his touch, looking down at the floor.

"You love him, don't you? That's why you're begging for me to let you go. So that you can say your goodbyes to him again and that you can find out a way to stay here, with him. It's not like I didn't know. Katherine caught me up to speed on nearly everything between you and Stefan. But, what I don't understand is if he loved you as much as he claims he does, why hasn't he divorced his wife yet?" Matt questioned, an vicious tone in his voice as he laughed.

"Yes, I love him and he loves me. But, he's going to divorce, Katherine. He's just waiting for the right moment. Now, please..tell me- What did she promise you, Matt!" Elena screamed again, swallowing her words down when Matt roughly grabbed her face with his hands, which caused Elena to be eye to eye with his blazing blue eyes that burned with pure anger.

"She promised me a lot more than you ever did! She said that she's going to talk with a lawyer about my domestic violence record against you. She said she knew someone who could make it vanish and I believe her. Katherine is very good and convincing in getting what she wants. And making them go away is just what I need. Because, ever since I nearly killed you and sent you to the hospital with those broken ribs and deep lacerations...I haven't been able to find a job or move on with my life. It looms around me and follows me like a dark cloud, like a bitter memory. So, Katherine and I really do share a common interest in solving our 'little problem.'" He explained as Elena shook her head, trying to understand what he meant by 'his little problem.'

"You're the one who got yourself in trouble by hurting me, Matt! None of this was my fault. You did it to yourself and as far as Katherine trying to help you...She can't even help herself. So, I wouldn't trust her. Please, Matt. Let me go, just- let me go and we can both get out of this in one piece." Elena pleaded with tears in her eyes as Matt got up and straightened himself out, pivoting on his heels and running his hands through his hair, his bone chilling laugh leaving Elena with an empty feeling in her stomach, one that made her want to vomit as he spoke again.

"This really has nothing to do about Katherine, It's more about the common goal we share. She didn't even really need to pay me much for this. Surely, $15,000 for killing someone and throwing their body into a deep, dark shallow grave, right into Lake Michigan isn't enough from a millionaire heiress such as herself. But, come on now, clearly your smart and catching on to our game... What your sister really wants is for you to be out of the picture for good and I'm just the person to do that. No one would suspect a thing. They'd say that it was just a domestic abuse case gone wrong. But, by the time that they reached you...your remains would be long gone and I would be out of the country, with a new name, my record cleared and with 'my little problem' resolved." Matt reiterated as Elena's tears streamed down her face and she begged him once more to just let her go.

"Begging me to spare you. Huh, I'm sorry..But, you'll need to try harder. Because, let's face it, Elena...You should have tried harder to kill me... Setting the house on fire with me in it, didn't really work very well, did it. I'm still here and I'm still very pissed off about that. So, consider this my payback for what did you to me." Matt told her, pulling Elena up by her hair and hearing as she whimpered out in pain when he flung her around like a small rag doll and watched her slam against the wall.

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat as she exhaled deeply and closed her eyes, slowly feeling faint and remembering the night, the cold chill in the air as she tried relentlessly in executing her plan to leave Matt forever.

"A grease fire had set the blaze and I had fallen asleep, so did you. I didn't try to kill you, Matt. I just got out before you could." Elena said as he bent down towards her again and tilted his head to the side, wiping away the smear of blood against her chin that was dripping down on to her white colored shirt.

"A grease fire..Yeah, I'm sure that's what you told everyone who asked. The house was engulfed in flames and you just left me there to die. Then, all these years later, I find out that you were living someone else's life. It must have been easy, manipulating your way into the hearts of all these people. For the first time in your pathetic and lonely life, you had somewhere to belong, people who kissed your ass. How does it feel now to know that your exposed, Elena? How does it feel now to know that since the truth came out that no one will even give a damn about you once your gone!" Matt bellowed as he got up and adjusted his waistband on his pants, exposing a black looking pistol.

Elena's voice was barely there, her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was escape. However, knowing that Matt was stronger than her, she needed something to distract him. So, she played along. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through." She said in her most sincere and believable tone as Matt got up and finally revealed what other kind of pain he was going to inflict upon her.

"Shut up! Just, stop talking and saying that you're sorry. Because, I know that you're not! I know that you're a liar, a cheat and are good in getting what you want. But, not this time." Matt shouted at her in an angered tone when he pulled out the gun and waved it around in his hand, smirking as Elena glanced up at it and froze in place on the floor.

"You didn't think I was serious about this, did you? I meant it when I said that I wanted my problems gone, Elena." He told her in an icy and detached tone, hands firmly placed on the trigger as he watched her squirm when she slowly and quietly spoke to him once more, trying to prevent him from shooting her. But, the anger in his eyes and the betrayal on his face would only cause all of this to end, badly and Elena knew that if she didn't calm him down, things would get even worse.

"I told you that I'm sorry. Matt, I know people that can help you. They can help you make a new life for yourself all you have to do is..." Her voice broke as she tried to keep him calm. But, her words enraged him even more as he shouted "Shut up!" into her ears, his voice bouncing off the walls and sending Elena into a tailspin of emotions, ones that kept her paralyzed from fear of what he was going to do.

That's when it happened, the sound of the gun going off, the sharp and painful blast into her stomach that made her fall on to the ground, and down to her feet. She felt herself sliding down against a wall in the room, the agonizing pain that followed made Elena's mind become blurry and her words incoherent. "You can't get away with this...They'll find you..You can't..." She tried to shout as her voice got lower and she became weaker. She blinked her eyes open, then closed. Barely able to move when the pain in her body increased. Elena placed her hand over her stomach, trying to keep herself calm and her thoughts from drifting to the worst possible thing. But, when she heard him run out of the room in a panic, dropping his cell phone as he left the room in a hurry. She knew that if she didn't get to the phone that she was going to die there all alone.

Elena inhaled sharply as she felt the blood from her wound gush out when she moved across the floor to grab the only thing she knew could save her. Once she reached it, she closed her eyes and placed the dark blue phone into her hands, her shaking fingertips dialing 911.

" 911. What's your emergency?" The dispatcher asked as Elena exhaled deeply, keeping her hand over her stomach with a lot of pressure, trying to prevent herself from bleeding out into a pool of blood on the floor.

"My name's Elena Gilbert and...I've been shot." She said with a trembling and weakening tone as this dispatcher on the other line swallowed the lump in her throat and asked.

"Ma'am. Listen to me very carefully. You need to tell me where you are. So, that I can send an ambulance and get you help. Please, Elena. Do you know where you are?" The young woman asked as Elena opened her heavy eyelids and glanced around the now darkening room. It was getting late and for all she knew, she was somewhere in the heart of the city or in a basement, where no one could find her.

"I don't know...Please, it looks like an old paper mill. Please, help me. Please, I'm losing a lot of blood..I'm getting really sleepy and tired." Elena begged, leaning her head against the wall as she inhaled sharply and looked down at her hands, both of them covered with her own wet and warm crimson blood.

"Ma'am, you need to stay with me...Hello? Elena..You need to try and stay awake...Elena?!" The 911 dispatcher advised her as she heard the other line go silent and the only thing being heard was the sounds of a young woman, struggling to breath as the phone line went dead.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this story just took an unexpected turn with that cliff hanger!**

**Feel free to leave me a review with your thoughts and please don't forget to follow/favorite if you like this story! :)**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twenty-Five**

"Katherine, is that you? Honey what's going on?" Isobel questioned as she came down the stairs quickly, rushing to her daughter who was trying everything in her power to gather her things and quickly make an exit out of the house before her mother could ask her any more questions.

"Where's Ethan? I need to go." Katherine asked her, watching Isobel remove the towel off her shoulder and lean against the banister near the stairs. "He's napping. Katherine, what the hell is going on? Is that blood on your jacket..What happened!" She nearly yelled, exhaling deeply and trying to calm her breathing as she locked her eyes on her daughter, noticing the frantic pace at which Katherine was moving around the house, throwing things into a large white purse.

"I'm taking Ethan and we're going away for a while." Katherine said in nonchalant tone as she stopped her movements when Isobel stood in front of her, grabbing a hold of her by the wrist and securing her eyes. Her tone was demanding, a bit harsher than expected when she asked once again. "You are not taking my grandson away from this house until you explain yourself! What the hell happened and who's blood is that on your coat?"

Katherine stopped, leaning against the couch in the living room and removing her hand away from her mother's touch. "I did something that I'm going to regret. It was out of anger. I'm sorry. But, I need to go..You can't contact us anymore after I take my son and I leave." Katherine said, brushing past her mother as Isobel grabbed her by the wrist, searching Katherine's darkened eyes for an explanation.

"What happened, Katherine! What did you do!" Isobel asked, a frantic plea in her voice as she watched her daughter cross her arms over her chest, inhaling sharply through gritted teeth when she muttered out. "Everything will be explained over time...I just, I can't say anything right now. I'm sorry. Now, please. Let me take my son and let me get out of here."

Isobel huffed out a breath, standing her ground as she forcefully blocked Katherine's way towards the staircase that they had moved in front of. "I said. You're not going anywhere with my grandson. Until you tell me what the hell is going on!"

She watched her eyes shift down to the ground, Katherine bit down hard on her lower lip as she removed her jacket, the blood stain still seemingly fresh when she admitted. "I just wanted to scare her into leaving town. I didn't think it was going to turn into this mess. I didn't mean to have this happen to her. Please, you need to believe me. All I wanted to do was scare her away from him." Katherine confessed, tears in her eyes as Isobel lifted her hand, placing it on Katherine's overheated cheek, wiping away her falling tears.

"Katherine. What did you do? Honey, please. I'm sure whatever you did. We can fix it." Isobel urged, watching Katherine step away, shrugging her shoulders back and throwing the jacket to the ground, tears streaming down her face. "My whole life..I've been a screw up! I'm not the daughter you wanted. You should have picked her. She's the one who wanted this life..Who should have had it..But, because of me and my own jealously. She'll get none of it. I'm sorry, mom. I'm so sorry for everything that I've done. I just- Please….I need to leave." Katherine begged, breaking down in tears as Isobel pulled her daughter into an embrace, holding her tightly as she whispered into her ear. "Katherine, did you do something to Elena?"

Katherine pulled back, hearing the door open upstairs as she looked up to hear Ethan stepping out of his room. She swallowed the lump in her throat, leaning into her mother's eyes when she said. "I don't know where it all went so wrong. I was jealous….I just wanted my old life back. I just.. Please, know that I didn't mean for this to happen to her. You'll learn everything in a few hours, it'll be all over the news." Katherine said, closing her eyes and glancing up at her son who was standing at the top of the stairs, inhaling sharply when she added. "Please, take care of Ethan for me. Tell him that I loved him and that I'm sorry for all the mistakes I've made. That I'm going to miss him while I'm away for awhile."

"Katherine. You can't just leave without telling me everything! The police will look for you, they'll think I was involved in whatever you've done!" Isobel said as Katherine inhale deeply, slinging her purse over her shoulder as she began walking towards the door, opening it and turning around towards her mother one last time when she said in a firm tone. "If they do, tell them that you don't know anything. Because, you don't. Trust me, I'm protecting you by not telling you everything. I love you, mom and I'm sorry for what you're about to find out."

" _Your sister won't be a problem any longer." Matt commented, sliding into the passenger seat of Katherine's parked car. Blood under his fingernails and on his shirt as she took off her sunglasses and glanced at him in confusion._

" _What happened? Matt, what did you do to her?" Katherine asked him, a worrisome look in her eyes and curiosity in her tone._

" _I got rid of her like you asked me to, Katherine. Now, give me the money and we'll go our separate ways." He pleaded with her as Katherine handed him an envelope, opening her mouth to speak. But, just as she did. Her cell phone went off, revealing a text message._

" _So, where will you go once it's all over. Into hiding once again?" Matt asked her, causing Katherine to glance down at her cell phone, the text message making her stomach tighten a little at what it said._

" _It's not important. Matt, please tell me that you just scared her off into leaving town, like I has asked you to do and that you didn't harm her in anyway." Katherine said, glancing over at Matt who was smiling mischievously._

" _Oh, don't worry. I didn't do anything that harmful to her. Just know that she won't be a problem any longer." He vowed, opening the car door in the empty parking lot that was darkened, the only light shining in the area was a street lamp that was above them, just a few feet away._

" _You're not telling me everything. Why did you have blood under your fingernails! Matt, did you hurt her?" Katherine asked, her hands shaking at the thought of her own jealous actions. She had every intention on scaring Elena away. However, she had never thought that it would turn into this…..blood, a gun and a sentence for attempted murder._

" _I shot her, Katherine. The bitch begged me not to do it. Like, I was going to listen to her or you though! You may be her sister. But, you'll be just as guilty in all of this as I am, once it's all out in the open. Too late to try to rectify your actions. So, I suggest that you leave tonight, leave everything behind and go somewhere far away, instead. Because, once they find out our connection. You'll be in federal lock up for a hire to kill plot." Matt said, opening the car door and stepping outside without another word, leaving Katherine's stomach in a bundle of knots and her guilty conscious eating away at her._

* * *

Three weeks and counting. That's how long she had been in the hospital. That's how long she had been in a medical induced coma. It had been that long since Stefan had heard the news and was allowed to be by her side. He held Elena's hand tightly. Closing his eyes even tighter when he felt the warm tears fall against his cheeks. Stefan felt as if he had been sitting there for hours, just waiting for a sign. For something to give him hope, for the girl he loved to open her eyes.

"I caused all of this, she's in this hospital because of me, because Katherine wants to make my life a living hell...Elena wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't found her in that shelter. She should be far away from me. From all of this!" Stefan said exhaling heavily, not even caring that Damon and Rebekah were in the room with him. Both of them just inches away as they watched Stefan fall apart, regret falling on his every word.

Damon slowly walked towards his brother, placing his hand on to Stefan's shoulder and squeezing tightly enough to watch Stefan's head snap up from the lock he had on Elena's breathing. The rising and falling of her chest, giving him some peace for the first time in a few weeks, knowing that she wasn't in pain for at least a while.

"Who found her?" Rebekah asked softly, tears welling up into her eyes at the sight of who they all knew was Katherine's twin sister. Damon stood back, grabbing a hold of Rebekah's hand tightly and holding his breath when Stefan turned towards them, his eyes glazed over as he whispered. "I don't know..No one wanted to come forward after a group of doctors found her outside of the E.R. doors, covered in blood and gasping for air to breath, until she passed out."

"Do we know where she was found at and who the person was who dropped her off?" Damon asked, leaning against the wall of the room, holding Rebekah in his arms as she watched Stefan wipe away the tears in eyes, shrugging his shoulders back.

"I don't know. But, I found out on the news. She's all over it and no one can seem to find out who brought her to the hospital. Now, that I'm finally home from rehab and that I've been upgraded to just being an out patient..I came here as quickly as I could. Look, Damon...I need you to call her family. Elena lost touch with them for a shouldn't just hear about this on the news." Stefan said, running his hands through his hair as he sat back in the chair that he hadn't left in the last few days, it was almost like he was living in Elena's hospital room with her, just waiting for her to wake up.

"Who do you want me to call? I thought she didn't have any other family besides Katherine, her mom and her aunt, Jenna." Damon asked him, watching Stefan pull out his cell phone, clearing his throat when he said. " Call Jenna. Katherine and Elena have an older brother named, Jeremy Gilbert. She had mentioned him to me once or twice. So, has Katherine. He's a doctor in Dupage county. He lives in Naperville. I need you to call him and tell him about his sister's condition."

"So, he knows about his sisters and that Elena was homeless?" Damon asked Stefan as he walked towards his younger brother's outstretched hand, grabbing the cell phone that had Jenna's phone number already programmed inside of it.

"Yes. He knows everything about them. But, he's never wanted to be a part of his sister's lives that much. So, because of it. He and Elena lost touch, because of Katherine. She's made things difficult for him and his family over the years. Jeremy and Elena have had a rocky relationship too. Yet, he still cares about them from what she's told me about her brother." Stefan elaborated, remembering the few times that both Elena and Katherine had talked about him. Although, Jeremey had never really made an effort to reach out to his sisters over the years and with that result, Stefan had never met him before.

"Stefan. What makes you think that he's just going to come to even see Elena?" Damon asked him again, watching Stefan turn in his seat as he glanced over to his brother and exhaled deeply before replying with him most honest answer. "Because, he's the only person in Elena's life that has ever cared about her in her family. Jeremy Gilbert's the only real family that Elena has right now."

* * *

"Katherine?" She heard her name being questioned as she glanced up from her magazine and when her eyes met his, she felt relieved to see a familiar face in the small town where she felt so unknown.

"I'm glad that you came. I thought that my replied text message would be ignored after what happened between us the last time I saw you." Katherine commented, watching him sit away from her, crossing his arms over his chest, an irritated gaze in his eyes.

"What do you want, Katherine? It's been weeks since I heard from you. I told you to contact me only if you really needed me. So, what is it?" He asked, his voice being harsher than usual as he watched her lean towards him, placing her hand on to the small table in the cafe that she had been sitting at.

"Please, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry, alright. I just... I miss you." Katherine tried to explain as Elijah exhaled deeply, noticing the sudden hurt in her brown eyes.

"Katherine...What did you do?" He asked her, watching as she ran her through her curls and took a sharp intake of breath. " Elijah. I didn't do anything wrong. I've missed you. So, how about I come over to your place tonight and we can talk about us?" She asked him with her signature charming smile as Elijah locked his eyes on to hers and nodded. "Okay. But, know this. If you did anything that could incriminate you, Katherine. I swear to god that I won't be involved in it. I will turn you in without hesitation.. I want to make that very clear."

Katherine swallowed the lump forming in her throat, trying to shake off the nauseating feeling in her stomach that was growing as she smiled up at him and calmly replied. "Of course not. I just want to talk us and what our future could hold, away from here and all of these people."

* * *

"We've been here for three weeks, tucked away from the world without tv or anything to keep in touch with anyone back in the city. Klaus, don't you think we should go back home soon?" Caroline asked, turning around towards her husband as she watched him place Sarah onto the couch, covering up her sleeping body with a fluffy red blanket as he smiled up at her.

"We should. But, I don't want to go home, just yet. Well, maybe we could at least turn our cell phones back on." He winked at her with a grin, watching Caroline glance up at him as she giggled and stepped towards her husband, pointing to Sarah and whispering in a soft tone. "Nah, I like living in the moment with you and Sarah. Our whole relationship has been under such pressure from the media lately. That it's been nice to get away from all the drama." Caroline commented, grabbing a hold of Klaus's hand, intertwining their fingers as she watched him glance up at her.

"Caroline…" He began to say as she stepped closer towards him, the cabin's wooden floor creaking under her feet as she smiled, placing her hand on to his lips.

"Don't say anything. Let's just, go upstairs and enjoy this little moment of peace. Please, Klaus." Caroline said, watching Klaus run his hands through his hair, smiling up at his wife and exhaling a heavy sigh. "Okay. A few minutes of peace sound heavenly."

Caroline felt Klaus's hand release hers as she slipped off her shirt and stepped in front of him with a smile as he closed the door to the bedroom behind them. "No cell phones, no distractions. I like it." She whispered, watching Klaus shake his head as he bite down nervously on his lower lip and glanced over at the cell phone on the night stand in the room.

"What's wrong? Are you worried about work?" Caroline asked him, watching Klaus sit down on the bed as she began to unbutton her jeans, slipping them off as she lifted her head back up at him with a grin, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck, straddling his lap and pushing him back with her hand firmly placed on to his chest. "Because if you are, I can help take your mind off of it."

"Sweetheart, don't you think we should take this slowly. I mean, we're just starting to reconnect." He pointed out to her. Caroline paused, taking Klaus's hands and placing them on to her hips as she leaned down towards his ear. Her breath washing over him and making his heart pound heavily as Caroline whispered in a seductive tone. "We should. I agree. So, let's take it as slowly as possible." She commented, leaning into him and capturing his lips against her own in a needy and desperate kiss.

* * *

**A/N: The introduction of Elena and Katherine's estranged older brother, Jeremy should be interesting. ;) I made him older in this story for a reason. Also, I promise that the Klaus and Caroline scene will be continued.**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation-Chapter Twenty- Six**

"So, you seek me out. Why?" Elijah asked her, opening the front door to his house as Katherine smiled up at him, exhaling deeply when she stepped through the front door of his ocean side property, miles away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago.

"I needed someone to talk to, Elijah. Look, I know that I messed up with you and I'm sorry." She tried to say with an apologetic tone, watching the lights switch on as she turned back towards him when he closed the front door to his one level sprawling 5 bedroom house with an open layout.

"You screwed up with me? That's an understatement, Katherine. You ruined what we had, you hurt me and then you expect me to forgive you? I loved you, I wanted to leave this damn state with you and start a new life with you. But, you made your choice. You told me that you had a son, you told me that you loved me. But-." He stopped talking as he glanced up at her and saw the slump in her shoulders and the saddened look of regret on her face.

"Katherine, why did you come and find me...I told you..I made it very clear that you and I are over." He reminded her, watching as she took a step in front of him, tilting her head to the side and reaching out to touch his face with the palm of her hand.

"I know." She stated with tears in her eyes, inhaling sharply as they spilled over on her cheeks and then she said. "You're the only one who knows me, Elijah. the real me. You're the only person who I've ever been able to trust. I sought you out because I wanted to talk, about us, about everything." She told him, wiping the tears from her face as she watched him take a step back from her, leaving her hand still up in the air and her heart dropping inside of her chest from his evident rejection.

"What do you want to talk about, huh? The fact that you promised a future with me, that you had a secret son and never told me, or that you still haven't divorced Stefan-I mean, you don't love him anymore right, so what's the wait on that?- Or, the newest news- that you sabotaged your sister's life just because you wanted your old life back. Please, Katherine. Stop me anytime, because this could go on forever. You've done so much to everyone around you. Hurt them, mapulatied them, ruined our lives- including mine. I wanted a future with you, I wanted us to be together and now..I just don't know what I want anymore, I think I want you to face your consequences….What were you excepting from me tonight, aways?" Elijah asked her in a stern and angered tone. He was irritated, pissed off beyond belief anymore that the one woman that he had actually truly cared for could just waltz back into his life whenever she damn pleased and then, walk all over him like he didn't once mean anything to her.

He watched her jaw tighten, her lips purse together as she gazed down at the floor, staying silent the whole time.

"What is it that you want from me?" He asked her again, this time in a bit of a less harsher tone. Katherine paused, shifting her eyes around the room and biting down on her lower lip nervously because if she was being completely honest with herself. She wanted him. However, time and time again and after everything they had been through, he wasn't an option for her anymore.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, taking a step towards him slowly as she slowly said. "I want a friend, Elijah….That's all. I wanted to tell you that I want a friend because I made a mistake. I did something that I shouldn't have and I'm starting to regret everything that lead up to it...Including everything that broke us up too. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for all the things I've done. And, because of it..I tried to redeem myself with something that I should have just let run it's course." She rambled on, watching as he locked his eyes on to hers in total confusion.

"What are you talking about? Katherine, you said that all you wanted was to talk about us! I swear that if you-." He began to repeat his own words from earlier as she closed her eyes and inhaled a heavy breath, remembering the nights events that lead up to what she was about to tell him….

" _I shot her, Katherine. The bitch begged me not to do it. Like, I was going to listen to her or you though! You may be her sister. But, you'll be just as guilty in all of this as I am, once it's all out in the open. Too late to try to rectify your actions. So, I suggest that you leave tonight, leave everything behind and go somewhere far away, instead. Because, once they find out our connection. You'll be in federal lock up for a hire to kill plot." Matt said, opening the car door and stepping outside without another word, leaving_

_Katherine's stomach in a bundle of knots and her guilty conscious eating away at her._

_She watched him walk away from the car for a moment. Internally debating with herself about what to do and then, it happened._

_Katherine opened the driver's side door and shouted at him, stepping out of the car and running towards Matt who was halfway out of the parking lot and into the street by the time she reached him._

" _Where did you leave her? Matt, Please...Where is she, where did you take my sister!" Katherine asked him, placing her hand on to his shoulder and watching him give her a sinister smile that made stomach bile rise up into her throat._

" _She's at the old paper mill that you told me to drop her off at, to just scare her for a bit..I didn't think the gun was even loaded, Katherine..But, she bled out a lot. The place is on 18st Street and Monroe Ave.. I mean, that's where I left her..That is if she's still alive." He confessed, brushing her hand off his shoulder as he watched Katherine run back towards her car._

_Her hands shook when she unlocked the car doors and slide into the drivers seat, eyes filled with tears when she mumbled under her breath.. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..Please be okay..Please..."_

"Please be okay...Please be okay." Katherine uttered as she felt her body shake and just when she was about to say the words again, she snapped back into reality and realized that she was standing in the middle of the hallway that lead into Elijah's house and that he was gripping on to her firmly with both of his hands placed on to her shoulders.

"Katherine! Hey...Katherine...What's going on? Where'd you go?" He asked with a confused gaze when he saw her stare up at him, eyes glazed over with tears when she stated in sorrowful tone. "I was the one who took her to the hospital after he shot her...I went back to the papermill for her and drive her to the hospital with her blood on my hands, my jacket and all over the car… I came home and cleaned up as much of it as I could..I never meant for this to happen to her. Please, Elijah you have to believe me!" She told him, watching as Elijah exhaled deeply and tried once more to shake her out of whatever she was saying when he placed both of his hands on to her face and asked. "Who? Who did you take to the hospital after they were shot...Katherine, who are you talking about!" He exclaimed, removing his hands from her face as she uttered out. "I felt guilty for things I did to her...So, I tried to make things right..I went back for her.. I went back to the papermill after it happened and he confessed it to me, I went back to try and save, Elena's life."

* * *

His hands gripped her curved body as she straddled his lap and he leaned her down against the bed. Caroline laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, gazing up at him with wonder and lust filling her eyes when he brushed a strand of her curly blonde hair out of her face and leaned into her, capturing her lips against his own in a rough and heated kiss.

"Sarah's in the next room.." Caroline reminded him, breaking away from Klaus with a mixture of a moan and breathy exhale that escaped her lips.

"I know. And, no worries, love. She won't hear us. I mean, unless you keep it down." He told her with a wink, feeling her legs straddle his waistline as he got up and held her against his chest, sending them both stumbling backwards and causing Caroline's back to hit the bathroom door behind her.

"Klaus. We're going to wake her up." She commented with a laugh, kissing his neck as her hands trailed underneath his shirt and she helped him take it off. She could see the desire in his eyes, the passion that he held for only her and it caused her heart to swell.

"I've missed you, I've missed us." He told her sweetly, sliding his finger across her cheek as she closed her eyes to his touch and felt his wedding ring graze against her skin, a reminder of the bond they held. He heard her inhale sharply as he pushed them away from the wall and his hands glided to her back, undoing her bra as she tugged at the hem of his shirt. "Take this off." She ordered with a wicked grin as he chuckled and nodded.

Klaus held his breath as she ran her hands over his chest and he kissed her neck, licking and nipping at her skin. Caroline's hands were in his hair, ruffling up the tips of it as she breathed out with a content sigh, speaking in between breathes with a barely there voice. "This, is very bad of us." She uttered out, locking her eyes on him, watching with a hazy gaze as she felt herself being pushed back against one of the walls in the bedroom, her arms rising above her head when she gripped on to his shoulders as she leaned into him, tightening her legs around his waist and leaning towards his mouth, leaving a deep and longing kiss that made Klaus weaken a bit.

"I don't care. All I care about is you right now." He stated firmly as he broke away from her briefly to stare into her blue glistening eyes, a smile forming across his face when her hands reached his belt buckle and she began to undo his pants with a slight urgency, kissing him once more as he brought her down to her feet again and turned them around so that they were facing the bed. Caroline's smile never left her face when she placed her palm flatly against his cheek and she whispered in a sweet tone. "I love you, Klaus."

He smiled at her words, lowering her down on to the bed as he hovered over her and kissed her lips softly, feeling her pull him down against her body right before he replied. "I love you too."

* * *

" _You know...We can sit here,together for as long as it takes. I don't mind it at all." He told her, feeling her head lean against his shoulder as he kissed the top of her head and stroked her cheeks, exhaling deeply._

" _Do you think we'll ever have a future together?" She asked him, her voice cracking at the thought of what it all meant, as she got up from her spot on the sand and brushed her white shorts off, smiling when she looked out towards the ocean and the blue waves as she heard him reply. "I'd like to think so..I want to be happy with you, Elena. I want to move on from this and I want you to be a big part of that. I want you to be my future." He told her in an honest and pure voice._

" _Where are we?" She asked him, watching him lift himself up too, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waistline, kissing her cheeks as she smiled and waited for him to reply._

" _Bora Bora, Tahiti." He commented with a huge grin as she laughed and stepped closer towards the water, breaking away from Stefan when she turned to watch him place his hands into his pockets, smiling at her when her feet touched the cool, crisp and bluest of waters that she had ever seen in her life. "Does anyone know that we're here?" She asked with a small smile, turning to notice that Stefan was gone and now, a familiar figure stood beside her instead, one that she had never really dreamt of before, until now._

" _No. No one knows that we're here, Elena. But, they're all waiting for you." She said, a softness in her eyes as she locked her eyes on to the woman and kicked the sand a bit with her feet, inhaling the ocean air that tasted a bit salty against her lips._

" _Waiting for me to do what?" Elena questioned with a curious gaze, watching as her mother's eyes gleamed and she softly added._

" _To wake up,sweetheart. I think you and I both know that you can't stay like this, forever…."_

" _But, I like it here. I don't feel any pain. I'm happy here , near the water..With Stefan. Please, don't make me go back." Elena softly replied as she felt her mother grab a hold of her hands, tightly squeezing them when she added. "But, he needs you, sweetie. He needs you as much as you need him right now. You can't leave him alone, Elena. Honey, you know that I'm right. You know that he can't make it without you. He isn't strong enough, not yet at least."_

_Elena closed her eyes and then she felt his arms around her again, as Stefan's voice whispered into her ear in a sweet and heart broken tone. "She's right, Elena...Come back to me...I need you."_

He held her hand tightly, kissing the coolness of her flesh as he closed his eyes and felt the tears run down his cheeks. "Elena, please..Come back to me...Please, I love you. But, I can't be in a world without you in it." He told her, his voice breaking at the last of his sentence.

It was like time had frozen when he felt it. A sudden movement that jerked his face away from the lock he held on to her sleeping face. Stefan sat in the chair with tears in his eyes as he felt her squeeze his hand. "Elena?" He heard himself question with a shattered and exhausted tone. Then, just as he looked down at her hand and back up to her face. He watched her eyes open as she gave him a dazed and terrified expression. Stefan gently stroked her cheeks and explained that it was hard for her to speak because a nurse had come in to examine her earlier and had determined that since she was now breathing on her own that they could take out the breathing tubes that the doctor had ordered be placed in when she had first arrived.

"Elena. Don't speak, You were in an accident. You're in the hospital and you were in a medically induced coma because you had some swelling in your brain because of the accident. The doctors decided to take you out of it once they determined it was safe. Just, listen to me. You're okay...I'm just going to call a nurse..Let me just-." Stefan began to say, trying to explain more and help her understand. She watched him with wide eyes as he got up from his seat with a frantic and nearly crazed motion. Stefan felt his body surge with exhilaration that after three long and daunting weeks of staying vigilant by her beside that she was finally awake and because of it, he didn't really know how to act. All he knew was that she needed a doctor or a nurse.

She slowly lifted her hands to her face, trying to determine what she was doing there and why everything hurt, why she felt like she had been sleeping for months. Her hazy brown gaze shifted towards Stefan who was nearly halfway out the door. But, he had turned around to grab something. She watched the piece of paper he held drop to the ground when she said his name.

Tears welled up into his eyes, tears of joy and relief that she was finally awake as he made his way back towards her, caressing her face and leaning down to kiss her cheek. However, just when he did, Elena said something that left him reeling. "Where am I?

Where's Katherine?." She uttered out in a barely there tone, her voice sounding so scratchy and unfamiliar to her own ears that it sent a shiver down her spine. She watched his green eyes grew big as he pulled back and smiled at her, trying to keep her and himself calm.

"She's gone, Elena. We don't have to worry about her anymore." Stefan reassured her, taking her hand into his and stroking the top of it with his thumbs, trying to calm her nerves just a bit as he reminded himself that he really did need to call a nurse into her room.

Elena shook her head, trying to speak again. But, failing at it. She watched him frown at her as he poured her a glass of water and she took it into her unsteady hands, coughing out the excess of it on to the blankets that covered her cold body as she finally cleared her throat and spoke again.

"No, I need to see her..I need to see Katherine." Elena said in a delirious tone, pain and hurt in her eyes as she watched the water cup in Stefan's hands shake right before the cup dropped to the floor abruptly and spilled all over the place, causing them both to jump a bit and allowing Elena's words to drift around the now dead silent room as he watched her close her eyes and cough out breath when he asked. "Why?"

She swallowed hard, with tears streaming down her cheeks and with a heavy breath, Elena whispered. "She was the one who drove me here. Because, she was the one who did this to me."

* * *

**A/N: Comments make me happy. So, feel free to leave me one.**


	28. Chapter Twnety-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Twenty-Seven**

He leaned into her, kissing her forehead and trying to swallow down the regret that was lodged into his lungs. The regret of ever bringing Katherine back into his life and into Elena's. Because, it had cost him so much...Nearly cost him his business and most importantly, the woman that he loved.

"Elena, Katherine told me that she was leaving, going out of town for a while." Stefan commented, watching as her eyes grew and she shook her head.

"No…She's still here." Elena spoke out, in a barely there whispered voice that made him get up suddenly, holding her hand into his own as he leaned into her and whispered. "You need your rest. Please, I'm going to figure it all out. I promise you. I'm going to find her and if what you're telling me is true. I'm going to deal with it. I promise, Elena. I'm going to fix this." He told her, kissing the top of her head gently and turning to storm out of the room with his keys shaking in his hands. But, just as Stefan made it halfway to the door, he bumped into someone, which startled them both for a minute.

"I came as soon as I heard, as soon as your brother called me.. Is she okay? Is my sister okay?" He asked frantically, trying to look past Stefan's shoulder at Elena who was slowly starting to fall asleep again in her room.

"Not here, Let's talk outside." Stefan urged him, following him outside of the waiting room doors and to a small pond like garden that had a few koi fish swimming around in it and the backdrop of the sun going down over the hospital parking lot.

" You need to know something...I haven't told her yet. But, you're her brother and I think you should know how bad her injuries are. She was in a coma for three weeks and she had extensive damage to her stomach...They um...They…" Stefan began to admit, unable to even say the words out loud as he glanced up, looking into the eyes at the clean cut and saddened looking older brother of Elena Gilbert.

"They, what? How bad is it?" Jeremy asked him, running his hands through his hair and looking over at Stefan who looked pale and sick all at the same time as he finally mustered up the courage to uttered the words. "They don't know if she's ever going to be able to have kids, Jeremy...One of the bullets hit her lower than they first thought. It ruptured one of fallopian tubes and did a lot of damage to her uterus. The doctors are saying that they could fix it. Although, there are no guarantees that it will help her. And, it'll cost a lot of money. Also, since Elena doesn't have insurance- it would have to come out of pocket. Another thing is that it's just a hard procedure and with the damage that she's already suffered in her abdomen area. The chances of her making a full recovery from this is about a 50/50 chance." Stefan confessed, holding back tears in his eyes as he exhaled heavily and looked up at her brother.

"I'm sorry that we called you here under these circumstances. And, that you and I are meeting because of all of this. But, I needed someone here..Not for me. But, for her. She knows that she's not alone in this. However, maybe seeing you will help her. Jeremy..I.." Stefan began to say as watched Jeremy's hand lift up and he felt it being placed on to his shoulder.

"I know. But, I've always said that I'd anything for her and for Katherine. My relationship with my sisters has been really rocky and there have been times where I haven't spoken to them for months or longer. Yet, I still care about them, Stefan. And love them very much. They're my blood. So, whatever Elena needs. I'm here." Jeremey told him, placing his hand back into his lap.

"I am too. I love you sister, Elena. I'd do anything for her. That's why I'm paying all of her medical bills with the money that my company receives. I've also arranged for your sister and I to stay at one of my houses in Lake Forest for a while, once Elena is okay to leave the hospital. Her and I will be staying there, out of the limelight and away from this mess and the news reporters that are already jumping at the bit to get a story from this. She doesn't need the stress that all of this will bring once it comes out that Katherine might have done this to her. Her own sister!" Stefan told him, watching Jeremy Gilbert's eyes grow when he heard what Stefan had just admitted.

"How do you know that Katherine did this to her, Stefan. That's just speculating." He pointed out, lifting his head to meet Stefan's gaze. He was looking out at the darkened garden now, the only lights that allowed them to see were the one's that were coming from the hospital windows behind them, outlining their shadows.

"She was fearful. I've never seen her that scared before and she sounded so sure of it. Look, I don't know if it's the drugs talking that they gave her to ease the pain or if it really did happen. But, that's what I was about to go find out before I bumped into you. I'm going to find Katherine and I'm going to get some answers." Stefan told him in a confident tone as he got up from the bench that they had been sitting on and glanced over at Jeremy who looked just as determined as he did.

"I want you to stay here with Elena. Talk to her, get to know her again. I know it's been a long time since the two of you have spoken. But, I wanted you here because you're the only person who seems to care about her." Stefan told him, looking over his shoulder to see Jeremey nod as he agreed to stay.

"When do you think you'll be back? Do you even know where to look for her?" Jeremy asked him as Stefan placed his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders back when he added. "I'm have a lot of friends in this city and because of it. I have a lot of resources Some that Katherine doesn't even know about." He told him, pulling out a set of keys from his jacket and headed down the dimly lit pathway that lead out to the parking lot. "Just keep Elena's mind off things, Jer. And, if she asks where I went, tell her that I went home for a bit and that I'll be back later."

* * *

"Damon, it's me. I need you or Rebekah to call me back, It's about Katherine and it's very important." Stefan commented, holding up the phone into his hands as they shook. He was parked across the street from a park that was filled with families that were finishing up a baseball game as the night sky turned darker and just when he hung up the phone. Stefan unlocked the doors of his Lexus, watching when the familiar face of a tall and skinny woman made her way towards his car. She shrugged her shoulders back when Stefan turned off the lights of his car and leaned over to open the door for her.

"It's been a long time." He told her, watching as she smiled up at him, getting into the car and adjusted herself in the passenger side. She leaned in to kiss his cheek, brushing a strand of her blonde hair back when she stated. "Yeah, it has. What are you doing here, Stefan? Last I heard regarding you, was that you were in rehab treating a drug addiction and that you were sleeping around with your wife's sister. Sounds scandalous." She said in a teasing tone, nudging his shoulder as he smiled at her and laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well. It all kind of is. It's a huge mess, really. And, I'm not proud of it. I guess, that's why I contacted you. I need your help..I didn't know who else to call and you're only person who I knew I could trust right now. Everyone else seems to want something from me. But, you never have. You've been a very loyal friend to me." Stefan told her, watching as she ran her hands through her blonde hair.

"Oh please! The moment you became a rising business man. I stood by you. I made a promise to you, Stefan. We're best friend. Always have been and always will be. So, why are you really here..It isn't to catch up with me is it?" She asked him, gazing over to see his eyes shift as he looked out the window, inhaling sharply when he spoke through gritted teeth.

"I want you to find my wife. I want you to find out everything you can about Katherine. All her bank statements, the people she's been associating herself with, everything you can that would link her to what she's done to Elena, my girlfriend." He confessed, realizing that it was the first time that he had ever called Elena that and part of him felt good about it. Stefan saw the blonde's brown eyes brighten as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Katherine's sister is your girlfriend? Hell, I hope she's a lot nicer than your wife. Because,, Katherine hates me- remember? She thought I was sleeping with you and when I told her that our relationship isn't like that. She banished me from your house, from you and told me that if she ever saw us together again that she'd ruin my reputation and make my life a living hell. So, I stayed away. I kept the same phone number, just incase you ever called me again though. Wishful thinking I guess." She told him, a small smile growing across her lips as she pursed them together and asked. "So, what did the evil wife do now?"

Stefan held his breath for a moment, gazing over at her when he locked his green gaze on to her face and stated. "She tried to kill her own sister and I want you to take her down. I want Katherine to pay for what she did. Listen. Katherine and I...We're on the brink of divorce. I'm going to be getting papers drawn up soon and I think she did this because she thought that she could get away with it. And, to get me back in own twisted way. However, her plan blew up in her face and she needs to be stopped before she tries to do it again or even worse."

Her eyes narrowed on to him when she looked in his direction and she shook her head, biting down on her lower lip. "So, you want me to spy on her? Stefan….What if this doesn't work. What if she finds out about it and runs before I even have the chance to do anything."

His hands clutched the steering wheel as he leaned his head against it for a moment, taking time to think about what he really wanted to do and why he was doing it.

"I know, Katherine and she'll try to run. But, she never gets too far. So, start with this...She has a son named, Ethan by my old business partner named, Mason Lockwood. She doesn't keep in contact with him anymore. But, maybe you can dig something up using that connection, her son might be living with her mother, Isobel. I'm not doing any of this for a revenge scheme because I want to get back at her for the hell she's put me. I'm doing this because of justice for what did she to Elena, her sister. I love her and I want to be able to live my life with her ,without Katherine interfering with our lives. My wife has become a problem, and she needs to taken care of."

"Taken care of? How am I supposed to do that?" She asked him, a little laugh escaping past her lips as she thought about Katherine and how good she was at manipulating others and how it seemed that she was always one step ahead of everyone else around her, always doing something for her own benefit and no one else's.

"We're going to bring her down by using the one person that I know she hasn't given up yet. That she'd never give up, even if she wanted to. He's the only other person in her life that she cares about." Stefan told her, rubbing his hands over his face as he watched the blonde give him a perplexed look when she asked. "Her son? You want to use her son against her. Stefan, you can be cold and calculating just like her. But, he's just a child. And, if that's your plan in bringing down your wife, I can't help you. I refuse to help you."

"I'm not going to use her son against her! I'm going to use her lover against her. She's with him, again. I just know that she is. Because, Katherine's always had a weakness for men and he's the one that she can't resist. or stay away from." Stefan explained to her, watching as she placed her hand on to the car door and began to crack it open, shutting it quickly when she questioned his words.

"How are you so sure about that?" She asked him through thick eyelashes as he cleared his throat, placing his hand on top of hers when he said in an unwavering tone. "Because, I know that she took the bait in my office that I had Damon place there on purpose a few months ago. I placed a few bundles of $100 dollar bills in one of my unlocked drawers in the office at Dasells, to see if she would take it. Katherine took $10,000 dollars of it and I think she's planning on skipping town with her lover, Elijah Mikaelson. But, I want you to stop her before she does it."

"Stefan...how can I be certain that Katherine hasn't turned herself in yet?" She asked him, watching him remove his hand from hers when he locked his tired looking eyes on to the blonde and said. "Because, I know her, Lexi. And, Katherine's running scared without a clear plan in her head right now. Which means that she's most likely not hiding her tracks very well. And, someone is bound to speak up and know something more than what's already been found out."

* * *

Caroline couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she rolled into Klaus and took the thin cotton sheet that covered their naked bodies, pulling it over them as she watched him sleep, his eyelids fluttering when she placed her warm hand on to his chest and whispered. "I love you."

The smile that spread across his face made her heart melt and in the moment Caroline was thankful that they were finally working through their problems. Yet, something was stirring in the pit of her stomach when she leaned into Klaus and trailed her fingers against his face. "We should get back home, Klaus. We should go back home tonight." She told him, hearing him grumble when he pulled her against his body and rolled on top of his wife, pinning her down playfully against the mattress below them and kissing her lips and cheeks, brushing her blonde hair out of her eyes when his blue gaze finally met hers and he spoke. "Why? Don't you like it here..With me and Sarah, in the middle of nowhere away from everyone." He commented, capturing her lips against his own before she could reply and trailing his soft hands against her warm and delicate flesh. Caroline nodded gleefully, trying to shake the silliness of her fears away when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down against her when he tilted her head to the side and kissed her neck, causing Caroline to gasp a bit.

"Klaus...I think I hear Sarah calling me." She mumbled out as he laughed and lifted his head up, smiling at her. "I didn't hear anything." Klaus commented, reluctantly pulling away from his wife as she got up from the bed and pulled a tank top and shorts briskly over her body, wrapping herself up in a red robe before she made her way out of the bedroom, she turned towards Klaus with a smirk and said. "You should get dressed too. Maybe we could all go out for a late dinner before that diner down the street closes. I know that Sarah would like that." She told him, watching as he slowly got up from the bed too and smiled, bending over to grab his boxers when he noted. "Yeah, I'd like that too."

* * *

Caroline hovered over Sarah as she placed a napkin on to her daughters lap and kissed her cheek when one of the waitresses approached them with a smile and said. "Hi, I'm Lisa. I'll be your waitress tonight. So, what can I get started for you?"

Klaus placed his hands on to the table and ordered for them as Caroline rummaged through her purse to get Sarah a pair of crayons and her coloring book. But, just as she placed them on the table, the sound of the half way turned up Television behind them broke into the evening late breaking news story.

Klaus paused as he glanced up at Caroline and watched his wife turn to look up at the screen, Sarah was too engrossed in her coloring book to even be paying much attention at all. But, her parent's eyes never left the TV as the newsman spoke. "Good evening. I'm Nolan Richardson and here is your breaking news for cook county, Illinois tonight. The cook county police department is still in need of the publics help tonight in finding out more information regarding the incident that happened three weeks ago at a Chicago area hospital." He stated.

Klaus watched as Caroline didn't flinch, her eyes stuck on the screen even after his coffee and her chai latte had arrived and yet, she wasn't even turning to drink it because she was too wrapped up into the news broadcast and what the news reporter was saying.

"Three weeks ago? That was around the same time that we-." Caroline began to say just as the news reporter continued to speak. "The victim is believed to be in her mid twenties and has been identified by an anonymous source as Elena Gilbert. She was dropped off with life threatening injuries by which in the hospitals surveillance cameras, appears to be a 2013 silver colored mercedes sports car with the Illinois license plate number of XDO-097T. If you have any questions or know anything about this incident involving this woman or the individual who may have dropped her off in this condition. Please, your local authorities at the tip line provided below."

As the food came, Caroline turned back around, her face pale and stunned as she sat there in silence and with tears in her eyes she said. "Klaus, give me your phone."

Klaus tilted his head to the side, noticing that his wife was visibly shaken up by what she had heard on the television screen. "What is it? Caroline…" He began to ask. But, Caroline was already up and getting ready to go outside. "What is going on, Caroline?" She heard her husband ask when she stood up and held his phone into her hands.

"It's about Elena Gilbert...I think I know who did this to her." Caroline confessed, rushing out of the restaurant and pushing past a few of the staff when she finally made her way outside. With shaking hands she was already dialing the number and placing the phone to her ear.

Caroline placed her hands into her pockets and inhaled deeply when a young woman answered the phone. "Detective Lexi Branson. Cook County Police Department. How may I assist your call?"

Caroline stayed silent for a minute, trying to collect her thoughts and just when she knew exactly what she wanted to say, she cleared her throat and firmly spoke. "My name is Caroline Mikaelson and I have some information on the Elena Gilbert case. I think I know who dropped her off at the hospital."

She could hear a clamoring of people in the background on the phone and what sounded like shuffling of papers as the detective spoke. "Caroline….Can you tell me what you know?"

Tears began to spill over her cheeks as she stood out in the cold and watched through the large windows that gave her a straight shot at where Klaus and Sarah were sitting and eating. Both of them with smiles on their faces when she saw him lean forward and wipe a smudge of ketchup off his daughter's face, kissing her little hand gently which in turn caused Sarah to giggle at her father.

"Hello...Mrs. Mikaelson, are you there?" Lexi asked, in a curious tone as Caroline coughed out an uneasy breath, nodding. "Yeah, I'm here..I just…"

"Caroline, listen to me. I won't involve you into this if you don't want to be involved. I just want to know answers as to why Elena Gilbert was dropped off in the state that she was in. Now, please- if you know anything about this. Even if you know a name to who might be involved or who the car belongs to….It would help me out, a lot." Lexi explained as her voice got quiet.

"Katherine Salvatore….The car that was caught on surveillance was driven by my former best friend, Katherine Salvatore. And, I know that because I was there the day her husband bought her that make and model of the car and when she got registered with that exact license plate." Caroline confessed, closing her eyes and feeling a surge of anger rush over her for betraying Katherine this way.

"Mrs. Mikaelson, do you know anything else regarding Katherine Salvatore?" Caroline bite down on her lower lips as she inhaled deeply. "I was best friends with her for more than 7 years, Detective Branson. I know a lot more about her than most people think I do. I know that she's been having an affair with my husband's brother behind her own husband's back for the last few years and I remember Katherine telling me about the place he likes to take her when he just wants her for herself without anyone knowing about it."

Caroline could hear the detective stop writing as she felt a sudden interest in what she was saying. "Where do they go, Caroline?" Lexi asked, smiling a little over the phone as she heard the young woman heavy sigh out a breath before she replied. "He owns another house in Oak Creek. Most likely if you're looking for Katherine, you'll find them both there."

"Are you sure that it's in that part of town?" Lexi asked her, hearing as the blonde inhaled and then she added. "Yes, I'm pretty certain that, that's where they are. Because, my husband and I helped him purchase that house and we helped him move into it."

* * *

Lexi hung up the phone with shaking hands as she dialed his number. It was getting late in the night and when he answered his voice was groggy and sleep filled. "You sound like you've been sleeping." She commented with a small smile as Stefan cleared his throat and groaned, shaking off the haziness he felt from sleeping in a crappy old bed in the hospital.

"No, No..I've just been resting my eyes. I'm back at the hospital, waiting for Elena to finish up with her visitor. Her brother's in town and I just wanted to give them some time to catch up. So, I fell asleep on an empty cot in one these empty rooms on accident, surprisingly no one came to kick me out. I'm actually about to make my way back towards her room. So, why the late phone call? Did you get any new leads?" Stefan asked her, getting up from the bed as he stretched out his back and slowly headed towards Elena's room, leaning against one of the walls in the hallway to fix his shoes.

"Yeah, I did. And from a very unexpected source." Lexi commented, writing down more notes when she heard him breathe out a heavy sigh.

"Who's the source? Can we trust them with the information that they gave you?" Stefan asked her curiously as Lexi nodded and explained. "Yes. I think that we can because she seems to know her more than a lot of people do. I mean, you might even know this woman too since you both run in the same social group." Lexi told him, causing Stefan to stop and lean against the wall outside of one of the many waiting rooms that surrounded the hospital.

"Who's the source, Lexi and what did she say to you?" Stefan asked her, a slightly irritated expression on his face when he continued to walk down the hallway towards Elena's room.

"Her name's Caroline Mikealson..Do you know her?" Lexi asked him, hearing Stefan exhale deeply before he replied. "Of course I do. Caroline's husband works for me and her husband's brother is the one that Katherine's been sleeping with. But, what the hell does Caroline Mikaelson know about all of this...She's been out of town for weeks."

"Apparently, she knows a hell of a lot more than any of us does right now. She heard the broadcast on the evening news about the car that was involved in Elena's accident and she said that she knows who was driving it." Lexi explained, hearing Stefan scoff at her words as he shook his head and placed his hand on to the door that lead into Elena's room, just about to hang up the phone when he heard her state. "It was Katherine, Stefan. She's the one who dropped Elena off at the hospital that night and she's the one who's way more connected to all of this than we think she is. Elena was right, so far, all arrows are pointing towards Katherine. But, what I still don't understand is why...We don't really have a motive in why she shot her and left her to die."

Stefan ran his hands over his face in frustration. "I can't ask her why her sister tried to kill her, Lexi. It's not the time or the place. Look, just give me a few days and I'll figure it out. In the meantime, find my wife!" Stefan said, hanging up the phone and pushing open the door to Elena's room with a bit of anger.

* * *

"You came back." Elena said in a weakened voice, letting go of Jeremy's hand and reaching out for Stefan's as he stepped closer and watched when Jeremy got up from his seat.

"I should probably get going. It's getting late and I need to get back home." He told her, smiling at them both as Stefan pulled up a chair beside the empty one that Jeremy had been sitting in and sat down, kissing the top of Elena's hand.

"Are you going to be back tomorrow? We have so much to talk about, to catch up on." Elena commented, her voice breaking just a little as she gazed up at her brother with a hopeful glance, watching him look down at the floor and then back up a Stefan. "If you want me to, I can see what my work schedule will be and if I have any surgeries scheduled at the hospital. Because, If I don't then, I can come back here and spend some more time with you. That is if you don't mind."

"I think that would be a great idea." Stefan told him, watching as Jeremy nodded and told them both that he'd be seeing them the next day, hugging Elena gently before he left the room.

* * *

Stefan turned his attention back to Elena once her brother was out of sight, squeezing her hand as she turned towards him and placed her unsteady fingertips on to his face, caressing his cheek with tears welling up into her brown eyes as he softly said. "Hi."

Stefan placed his hand over hers, leaning his lips into the palm of her hand and kissing her skin when she smiled against it and said. "Hi."

"You're here. You came back." She told him, holding back tears that were attempting to spill over on to her rosy colored cheeks. But, she felt his thumb catch them as they fell which made her smile just a bit wider at the way he cared about her.

"I'm here. I came back for you, Elena." He told her, glancing down at her as she leaned back against the pillows that were behind her on the hospital bed. Stefan watched Elena grab his hand again, holding onto it firmly as she gently said. "Come here and stay with me."

He smiled when he lifted the white blankets that were covering her body and took his shoes off, sliding under them with her as he lifted his arm up so that she could cuddle up against him. Elena placed her head onto his shoulder as Stefan laid flat on his back, his hand stroking her bare arm and playing with her blue hospital gown, exhaling heavily from the stress filled day and taking a moment to enjoy the silence between them.

But, it was her soft and tired voice that broke the awkwardness in the room when she placed her arm on to his stomach and played with the buttons to his plaid blue and white shirt. "Are you okay?" She asked him curiously as he turned his head, kissing her lips softly and locking his eyes on to hers. She felt his hand lift up when he touched her cheek, rubbing his thumb slowly over her skin when he said. "I'm okay.. I'm better now that you're here."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes slowly closing just a bit when she felt Stefan's other hand slip into her hair and she whispered before giving into the drowsiness that she felt. "I'm better now too. I'm always better when you're here."

* * *

**A/N: And, that was Chapter 27! So, what did you all think? ;) Hopefully you found it all interesting with the new addition of Lexi and Jeremy.**


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey all! Thank you guys so much for reviewing, favoriting and following this story.  
**

**Thank you all for reading and enjoy Ch.28!**

* * *

**Within Temptation-Chapter Twenty-Eight**

"Caroline, what happened tonight at the diner? Who were you talking to on the phone outside?" Klaus asked her, leaning against the door frame leading into the bedroom as he watched his wife pack up their things, throwing all of her clothes into a huge pile with tears streaming down her face.

"I betrayed someone that I used to care about, Klaus...I've become someone that I never wanted to be…What else do you want me to say." Her voice broke as Klaus pushed off from the door frame and walked towards his wife, out stretching his arms to her when she shook her head and murmured out. "It was never supposed to be like this, we had promised each other that we'd be best friend for the rest of our lives. She's going to hate me when she finds out what I did, the things I confessed about to them, the things I said about her..."

"What did you do, Caroline?" Klaus asked her, tilting his head to the side as Caroline gazed up at him with water eyes and then she stammered out. "I told the police that Katherine's the prime suspect in Elena Gilbert's shooting. I told them that it was Katherine's car that was seen driving off from the hospital because it was...Klaus, she's involved with this,Katherine's involved and I just turned on her- my own best friend- without even thinking twice about it, just like that! I turned on her and I did it without even thinking about the consequences of it all."

"Caroline, are you sure of what you saw on that television screen?" He asked her, placing both of his hands on to each side of his wife's shoulders as tears ran down her face and she bit down on the inside of her cheek.

"I'm sure of the car. But, I don't know who was driving it….I don't know why I said it was Katherine..I just...I thought it was easy to pin it on her...She doesn't deserve it though, she doesn't deserve to be thrown under the bus like that." Caroline told Klaus, feeling her body being pressed into a tight embrace as he held her in his arms and soothed her cries.

"It's okay, we're going to fix this before she finds out. I'm going to fix it." Klaus told her, kissing her forehead before he stepped away from her and took his cell phone off the end table in their bedroom, heading towards the kitchen.

"Klaus. Who are you going to call?" Caroline asked him in a hushed tone, following him into the kitchen and watching as her husband placed his hands on to the counter top, heavily sighing before dialing a phone number and placing the phone to his ear as Caroline glanced up at him in shock when Klaus announced. "Hello, Stefan...We need to talk, it's important."

* * *

"Klaus. Hey, it's been a while." Stefan commented in a surprised tone, as he slide out of the bed that he was laying on with Elena. Stefan leaned down, kissing her cheek before he made his way out of her room, closing the door behind him as he heard his friend and business partner speak with a serious tone.

"Listen, I know that we haven't spoken in a while about personal things and that these last few weeks have been tough for you and everyone. But, that's the reason I'm calling. I wanted to see how Elena was doing and if we have any leads as to who might have done this to her."

Stefan inhaled sharply, leaning his back against the wall as he looked up across the way, at the Television in the waiting room that was reporting about the weather.

" Elena's okay. But, she's going to need a lot of time and surgeries to repair the damage, physical therapy and maybe even counseling..She's alive though, which I'm thankful for. The police officer that I'm working with is an old friend of mine, we grew up together. And, she actually has some leads from a reliable source. If that's why you're calling me-." Klaus cut him off with a brisk huff of a breath when he added. " I know that it's Caroline, the source that gave your friend information. Stefan, that's actually the reason why I'm calling I wanted to tell you that she isn't even sure that it was Katherine. She saw the news report and got a little confused. If you could pass that along to your police friend. that would be very helpful." Klaus told him, hearing a sigh come out of Stefan's mouth.

"She's retracting her statement? Why would she do that...Klaus, Caroline seemed about 100 percent sure that it was Katherine who did this to Elena when she called the police just a few hours ago. Why would she back out from her own words now?" Stefan asked him, listening to Klaus speak through gritted teeth.

"They were best friends, Stefan! For years and thinking what she had said over, Caroline feels as if she was wrong. Now, I suggest that you ask Elena what she remembers about that night. And, leave Caroline out of this. I'm warning you in a friendly way, Stefan..Leave my wife out of this." Klaus warned.

Stefan shook his head in belief. "Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it, Klaus? Because just like the rest of us, your wife is already too involved in this. I'll ask Elena, Klaus. But, if she tells me that it was Katherine, like she's said it before..Then, I'll be expecting for Caroline to testify against her own best friend when that day comes. Because, let's face it- if she doesn't, Katherine will getting away with attempted murder and I'm pretty sure that Caroline would hate to know that she let an almost murderer roam freely around the world." He told him angrily as he made his way back into Elena's room and hung up the phone before Klaus could add anything further to their conversation.

Stefan slowly slide back into the bed with her and pulled her close to him, as he closed his eyes and waited for morning to come until he asked her more about Katherine and what she remembered.

* * *

"Stefan." Her voice was raw and sleep filled when the sun shined through the blinds and he opened his eyes to feel Elena's thumb rubbing up and down his cheek.

"Stefan..Wake up." She whispered softly, leaning into him and kissing his soft cheeks, her fingertip softly caressing his jaw line as he opened his eyes and smiled.

"How long have we been asleep?" He asked her, gazing over to see Elena backing away from him just a bit as he turned on his side and reached out to place his hands against her stomach.

"Don't...I don't want you to see it." Elena replied, swallowing down the fear that she held as to what he would think of her if he saw the scars and stitches that were helping her gunshot wound heal.

"Elena, you don't need to hide from me. You're safe with me, I promise. I'm going to protect you." He commented, his hand lifting so that his thumb could stroke her cheek. As he looked closer at her, he could see the fear and disappointment in her eyes.

"Tell me, how bad is it?" She asked him, tears filling her eyes and just about to spill on to her cheeks as he leaned into her, kissing her forehead. Elena could feel Stefan's arms gently pull her closer. He said nothing as he wrapped her into his embrace, his fingers massaging her scalp when she laid her head against his chest, exhaling deeply.

He could feel her body stiffen when she inhaled deeply and he knew that it must have hurt her to do so. " I can't do that Elena...Do you want me to get a nurse or a doctor to recheck your bandages?" He asked her. Stefan leaned them back against the bed when he felt Elena's hand tighten around his own and she intertwined their fingers together, examining his hand and realizing that he had taken off his wedding ring.

"No. I just want to stay here, like this with you for awhile, for as long as we can." She commented softly, lifting up his hand into the air as he watched her do so, he cleared his throat- knowing exactly what she was thinking. "I took it off a few weeks ago. It doesn't feel right anymore. Having it on my hand. I'm not in love with her, Elena."

Elena swallowed the lump in throat that formed at the thought of everything that had happened since she had met him. "I'm sorry for the things I did to cause you to be here. If you hadn't found me at that shelter and if I hadn't-." She began to ramble. But, Stefan's hand grazing her cheek made her stop talking and listen to him.

"This has nothing to do with you. My marriage to Katherine was falling apart long before you ever came into my life. It was bound to end up like this. So, stop blaming yourself for something that couldn't be controlled. Katherine and I have been on a self destructive path for a while now and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it. But, I found a solution to it. I got a lawyer and he's drawn up divorce papers. Katherine wants Dasells. But, I'm not going to give it to her, she'll be offered a nice lump sum of money from my lawyers. But, as far as my business, it's not hers to own or to work at any longer." Stefan explained, feeling Elena shift against him as she got closer, pulling the blankets that covered them over her body a little more.

"Stefan, what if she tries to do something to strike back at you? What she did to me could just be the beginning of it all. She's dangerous and-." He interrupted her quickly when he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, softly speaking when he glanced up at the white painted ceiling.

"After this is all over and you're healed up. I want you to take Katherine's place in my company. Damon, Klaus and I can teach you the ropes and we'll keep you safe. But, I want Katherine gone and away from this city before that all happens. After this is over, I want my life to start with you, Elena. I want us to be together and I want you to be happy with me. I don't want anything to come between us anymore, nothing. Especially Katherine or anyone else from our pasts."

Elena could feel a small smile tug across her lips as she held on to his hand and felt him bright her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "What do you say? You don't need to answer now. But, I want you think about it. Because, I'm in love with you, Elena Gilbert and I want you to know that I'm here and it's where I intend to stay. With you, for as long as you'll keep me around."

Elena buried her head into his shirt and inhaled deeply, feeling a sensation of calm come over her body when she was near him. But, just as she opened her mouth to reply back to him, Elena's doctor walked in with a chart in his hands.

"Miss Gilbert. Time for us to change your bandages and check on your incisions." The doctor stated, giving Stefan an awkward look as he placed his hands into his pockets and glanced over at Elena, pivoting on his heels. He could tell that she was nervous when he gazed over at her and just when the doctor asked if he could step out of the room, Stefan replied hastily. "Can I stay with her instead?"

The doctor smiled politely, shaking his head when a nurse came in and glanced up at Stefan too. "I'll be right outside the door, okay?" He told Elena, staring directly into her eyes, getting up slowly and watching as she nodded back at him when he left the room. "Okay." She whispered softly.

* * *

"Lexi, it's Stefan..So, have you heard anything back from your department about where Katherine is hiding?" Stefan asked as he sat down in an empty waiting room that was just a few feet away from Elena.

"Well, yes and no. I found some unusual phone records though. I've been trying to pinpoint the location of them and I finally found out who these calls are coming from . Katherine's called and has been receiving phone calls from a number that's originally from North Carolina from a cell phone registered under a guy named, Matt Donovan. Stefan, do you know him?"

The other line went silent as Lexi exhaled deeply and and continued to write down more notes on the things she found. Stefan leaned back into his chair, trying to think of all the people he had come across throughout his travels and nothing sounded familiar about the man that Lexi was talking about. "No, I've never heard of him before. Why would he be calling Katherine?" He questioned as Lexi sighed out a breath.

"Hang on...I just found something really weird...Katherine's sisters name is Elena Gilbert, right?" Lexi asked him curiously, causing Stefan to rub his temples and stop when the mention of Elena came into their conversation.

"Yeah..Why?" Stefan questioned as Lexi swallowed hard and then she replied. "Stefan, I know her. It took me a few minutes to connect the dots. But, I've come across her before on the streets."

"What?" Stefan asked in a shocked tone as Lexi ran her hands over her face and exhaled deeply, explaining her words.

"I had mistaken Elena for Katherine once when I was out on the streets one night patrolling the downtown area with my partner…" Lexi recalled as she shook her head to erase the memory. But, she could still see it in front of her, all of it- like it had just happened yesterday….

_It was cold and snowing. She remembered it well since that night was the first time that she had found herself with nowhere to sleep, in the city that she felt like she barely knew. It was the first night that she wasn't being hunted down by anyone, the first night where she was completely anonymous. The frigid cold snow flakes were hitting her thin and dark red jacket as she leaned against a park bench and scooped up her feet against her body, closing her eyes briefly for a moment of silence._

_She was exhausted. With no money to her name and no credit cards, Elena had thought that sleeping in the park out in the open wouldn't have been the most ideal place. However, it was the only place where she felt like she could rest for a bit until she moved on to somewhere warmer for the night, that was until she heard a police car pull up to the side of her and two people stepped out._

_"Hey! You can't sleep here, you'll freeze to death!" Someone shouted, the loud echoing voice was coming from the left side of her and she could hear the crunching noise of the snow under their feet when she glanced up and pushed off up from the bench, running as fast as she could._

_"Hey! I said you can't sleep here! What the hell..Why is she running?" The police officer asked her partner as the young blonde haired woman shrugged her shoulders back and exhaled deeply._

_"I have no idea. Maybe she has a record or something..Ugh, looks like we have to go after her." The blonde commented, picking up speed and cutting off the young brunette who looked like she hadn't slept or eaten anything in days._

_"I said. Stop running!" The blonde commented in a harsh tone, tackling Elena down to the ground as she tried to fight her off, feeling her body and face being pushed into the snow and then she was lifted up from the cold and into the air, standing on her two feet with cuffs placed on her hands._

_"Please, let me go! Please, I can't go to jail..I didn't do anything. Let me go of me!" Elena shouted, thrashing and trying to get herself loose from the cuffs as she could feel her body being pushed up against the police car and then the blonde frisked her._

_"Do you have anything on you that's going to poke me?" She questioned as she turned Elena around and locked her brown eyes on to her in astonishment._

_"Mrs. Salvatore?" The blonde questioned as she watched her partner glance up at her and shake her head. "Are you sure about that Police Officer Branson? You don't want to make you a rookie mistake by arresting Mr. Salvatore's missing wife! You know that if you did that, that you'd be all over the news."_

_"Ma'am, are you this woman?" Lexi asked her as Elena squinted her eyes and glanced at the picture that was being illuminated by the street lights that were shining above them, a missing poster with details of the woman that they were speaking of. Elena felt dizzy as Lexi undid the handcuffs on her and took the poster away, taking a step back and allowing some space in between them._

_"If he's hurting you, we can place you in a shelter and they can help you..Listen, if-." Lexi began to say as Elena stared up at her and with quivering lips and chilled hands she said. "I'm sorry. But, I said let me go. I didn't do anything wrong and I don't know who that is..I just want to be away from him!" Elena told her, squirming out of her grasp as she pushed Lexi against the squad car door hard enough until she fell backwards and into the snow. Allowing Elena to take off down the street and disappear into the night._

_"What the hell was that! Are you okay?" Lexi's partner asked as she watched her get up and shake her head. "I don't know. But, whoever the hell that was. We need to find her, we need to find her now!" Lexi shouted, telling her partner to get back into the squad car so that they could patrol the streets for the mysterious woman that looked identical to one of the biggest socialites that Chicago had come to know very well.  
_

Lexi exhaled deeply, nodding when she stated. "Yes, I'm 100% percent that I saw Elena that night. We searched for her all night long, I remember her well. She was a dead ringer for Katherine. But, we couldn't find her anywhere and then a few months later, it was reported that Katherine Salvatore was found alive by you. So, Stefan, how much has Elena told you about her past relationships and her life before she met you?"

Lexi rubbed her face over her hands, still holding on to the phone as Stefan leaned back into his chair, closing his eyes and trying to think about how much Elena had told him about her past and who she was before she came into his life. But, all he was drawing was a huge blank in his mind when he replied back to Lexi's question. "She didn't tell me that almost got arrested by you. And, it's never been nothing too much in detail about her being homeless...Lexi, where are you going with this?" He asked her, the silence on the phone line was deafening when Stefan asked again in a demanding tone. "What is she not telling me!"

A good five minutes had gone by when Lexi finally responded in a stressed and saddened tone. "Stefan, Matt Donovan knew Elena well. She had tons of complaints against him and he had even served time for sending her to the hospital once. But, nothing else was able to stick because he was set free on bail. And, that's where the trail runs cold because Elena stopped showing up on the police database anymore. That night I ran into her, was the first time anyone had any contact with her since she had escaped him...Elena's been running from Matt for years, attempting to stay under the radar, that's why she ran off from me. She was afraid that I was going to contact him and send her back. He's terrified her ever since she escaped him."

"Matt and Elena...Lexi...I don't think that-" Stefan began to say, clutching the phone into his hand angrily when he heard Lexi finally admit. "They were romantically involved and living together for a long time, Stefan. He was her boyfriend."

Stefan could feel his jaw tighten, his hands shaking with anger towards Matt and a little towards Elena when he got up and told Lexi that he had to go.

"Stefan, don't you dare tell her that you know about this." Lexi warned as Stefan exhaled and then he replied. "Elena and I, we don't really keep secrets from each other, unless it's to protect one another- at least I thought we didn't. I need to talk to her about it, Lexi. I need to know what happened to her and more about this Matt guy..What if he's still after her? huh?"

Lexi sighed. "Stefan, we'll figure it out without Elena's help. Please, she doesn't need this stress, remember?"

Stefan nodded, she was right. Matt Donovan should have been the least of their worries and making Elena better should have been the primary focus. But, Stefan had felt like he couldn't sit still and he wouldn't be able to rest easy if he didn't know more about him and if he was still a threat to her life.

"I'm going to ask her, Lexi. I need to know..I need to know if he's someone that I need to protect her from too. You understand that right?" He asked her as she inhaled deeply and remarked. "I do, I get it. But, just….just remember that it might bring back memories for her that she doesn't want to remember regarding him." Lexi reminded him as Stefan nodded, making his way towards Elena's room and stepping in front of it with a deep breath before he knocked on the door and heard her soft voice reply for him to come in.

"Yeah, I know. Listen, I'll call you later." Stefan said softly, placing the phone into his hands as Lexi agreed and then they both hung up.

"Hey." She said smiling, adjusting herself in the hospital bed when he pushed the door open completely. Elena watched Stefan approach her slowly as he sat down across from her and cleared his throat nervously.

"Elena, you trust me..right?" He asked, watching as she nodded and smiled at him with a confused facial expression on her face.

"Of course I do..Stefan, what's going on? Is something the matter?" Elena asked him as he bowed down his head and looked at her hand that was now in his lap, his thumb stroking the top of it when his curious eyes finally met hers and his anger subsided as he inhaled sharply and then he asked with a straight face, looking directly into her eyes. "Tell me about Matt Donovan...Tell me about the past that you've been running from."

* * *

The mention of Matt's name made her body stiffen as she took her hand away from Stefan and placed it back into her own lap. It was evident that saying his name had stirred something inside of the brunette and Stefan refused to let it go.

"Tell me about him, please." He pushed her, watching as she bit down on her lower lip nervously and shook her head, tears appearing on to the brim of her lashes.

"I can't." Elena said, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat and just when she thought that he'd let it go and stop with trying to figure more about her ex-boyfriend. Stefan urged her, his eyes were pleading with her.

"Please, Elena...Please, you don't need to tell me everything. Just tell me who he was to you and why you're scared of him." Stefan commented, leaning into Elena as she flinched away and wiped away her now falling tears.

"Why do you want to know about him so much? To protect me? Stefan, it's too late for that! It's too late for me to be protected by you! I was shot and I've been homeless, I was left to die because of him..I don't-." She began to say as Stefan tilted his head to the side, watching her eyes become even more water and her face fill with anger as the tears fell down her cheeks and she whispered. "I don't want to remember..I don't want to remember….Please, don't make me remember what he did to me..Please, stop it." She begged him. Stefan leaned towards her, getting up from his chair and bringing her face against his chest as he stroked her hair and she sobbed against him, repeating over and over again. "Please, don't make me remember what he did to me.. Please, Stefan..Please, I don't want to remember..."

"Elena, I'll stop. I'll stop, okay? I just, I want to help you be safe." Stefan told her, his fingertips stroking her hair down against her damp cheeks as Elena cried out in a wailing sob. Stefan shushed her crying as he held her in his arms and placed his chin against the top of her head as Elena's crying increased and then she was silent, closing her eyes and unresponsive to Stefan as she felt herself drift back to that night at the paper mill where Matt had left her...

_"Elena! Elena!" Katherine ran into the room, bending down towards her sister in the barely lit room as felt her hand being covered in blood._

_"Help me..Please, help me." Elena stammered out in a weakened voice, holding her stomach as the blood seeping out of her gunshot wounds covered her shirt and Katherine leaned down in front of her in horror, applying pressure to her wounds._

_" Elena, you need to lean back so that I can help you, we need to stop the bleeding... I'm so sorry. This was never supposed to happen. But, you're going to be okay. You're going to be okay, I promise. We just need to get you help." Katherine told her in a hurried tone as she heard a frantic voice on the phone._

_"Ma'am...Hello? Elena, I need to know where you are!" The 911 operator exclaimed as Katherine glanced down at the phone that had been near Elena and she closed her eyes, inhaling sharply and grabbing it off the ground as Elena watched Katherine hang up._

_"What are you doing, that's my only chance. Please, Katherine, don't leave me to die here!" Elena said in a voice that was hoarse and barely there as Katherine inhaled deeply and locked her tearful gaze on to her sister when she stated. "I'm going to make things right, I'm going to help you. It could take them long to get here. But, I'm going to get you out of here and to the nearest hospital, I promise..This was my fault and I'm sorry..I'm so sorry." Katherine said in an apologetic tone, helping Elena to her feet and applying pressure to her wounds as she helped her out of the building and to the back alley where her car was parked, out of sight from any people passing by and from any street lights._

_She used all of her upper body strength to place Elena's fragile battered and bleeding body into the car, blood staining her cream colored jacket and her hands as Katherine closed the car door and briskly walked over to the driver's side, driving towards the hospital at an alarming high speed._

_"I'm so tired...Please, just let me go to sleep, I just want to close my eyes." Elena begged, crying and crying out in agony from the pain as she held the shirt against her stomach that Katherine had used to help soak up the blood._

_"No...This was all my fault. I did this to you. It was never supposed to happen like this. I'm sorry, Elena...I'm so sorry that I brought him back into your life..That I caused this for you, I didn't know he was going to do this! All I wanted was my old life back. But, I didn't want it be like this…I didn't want him to shoot you." Katherine's voice broke when she glanced over at her sister and turned down the exit that was to the closest hospital, which was only a few short minutes from the paper mill that Elena had been found at._

_Katherine wiped her blood stained hands off her jeans and pulled over to the side of the E.R. entrance as she lifted a hoodie that was attached to her jacket over her face and exited the car, quickly yanking Elena out of the passenger side and placing her shaking and nearly unconscious body on to the curb as Katherine inhaled deeply and bowed her head down when whispered into Elena's ear. "You're not going to remember any of this. I'm sorry that I put you through so much. But, I'm getting you help now, I'm going to make sure that they save your life. Because, I'm to blame for this and I need to make things right."_

_Elena's eyes opened widely as she screamed in agony when Katherine placed her on to the cold ground as Elena's wailing screams of pain, caused a nurse that was a few feet away, walking back towards the hospital from her dinner break to run towards her, just as Katherine got back into her car, speeding off and out of sight without another word or glance back at the hospital.  
_

"I remember now…." Elena rambled on as Stefan sat back down in his chair and grabbed her moistened face in between his hands as he locked his worrisome gaze on to Elena's and asked. "Do you remember Katherine doing this to you?"

She huffed out a quivering warm breath as she locked her tearful eyes on to his intense looking face as she confessed. " It wasn't Katherine, Stefan...Katherine dropped me off at the hospital. But, she wasn't the one who shot me...I remember now, she tried to help me. Katherine didn't shoot me...Matt Donovan, my ex-boyfriend did."

It was like a pin dropped as his eyes blinked at her and he tilted his head to the side, releasing his grasp from Elena's face and backing away from her hesitantly. He looked as if he was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked him, her brown eyes widening when she saw him back away from her with his hands in his pockets and a facial expression that made it clear that he was jolted by her words. "I need to go, I need to call someone. I'll be back!" He exclaimed, pivoting on his heels and exiting Elena's room without another word as he walked down the hallway and fumbled with his cell phone, dialing her number.

_Pick up...Come, Pick up!_ Stefan's mind screamed when her phone went straight to voice mail and that's when he left a panicked message. "Lexi, we have the wrong person! Whatever you do..Don't go after Katherine tonight because it'll tip him off...Katherine's not the shooter, Lexi. Matt Donovan is!"

* * *

Lexi stood in front of the house, hands folded over her chest as she smirked to herself and told her partner to back her up. "She's probably going to be violent. So, we'll need to radio for more backup. Just, keep your guard up when we go into the house." She explained, watching her partner nod as Lexi placed her hand onto her gun holster and knocked on the door, getting the go ahead from her partner that was standing right behind her to try and coax Katherine out of the house first.

As the door opened, Lexi's eyes grew wide when she glanced up to see Katherine barely dressed, her hair pinned back into a low ponytail, her robe had one of the sleeves gliding off her shoulder and she had a ice cold smirk on her face that made Lexi's muscles tighten, forcing herself to no arrest her there and then.

"Katherine Salvatore?" Lexi asked in a professional manner, watching Katherine's eyes glistening when she extended out her wrists and sighed out a breath. "Save the whole 'I'm a cop, speech.' You look like one and I already know you are...I remember you, Lexi. It's just pretty damn ironic that you're here and not someone else. So, you must think I put Elena in that hospital bed. Well, I can save you a lot of paperwork by telling you that I didn't do it. Yes, I brought her to the hospital. But, that's it."

"Tell that to a judge when you're in court." Lexi stated, hearing Katherine huff out a breath as Lexi stepped inside the house and pushed Katherine against one of the walls, her face pressed up against it when she stammered out. "I didn't do anything wrong. What the hell are you doing and on what grounds are you arresting me for!"

" On the attempted murder of your sister, Elena Gilbert. And, as of right now. You're my only suspect. So, Katherine Salvatore. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?" Lexi said in a very calmed and collected tone, tightening the handcuffs around Katherine's wrists and pulling her off the wall as Lexi turned towards her partner and added. "Find her boyfriend and bring him in too. Let's just do this before the media catches wind of it and before they make it into a frenzy."

"The media and news reporters? I can't be arrested looking like this! Do you know what they'll say about me...That I was found in Elijah Mikaelson's house, having an affair with him...I wasn't..I swear, we were just talking." Katherine bickered as Lexi walked her towards the squad car, opening the door when Katherine locked her pleading eyes on to her. "Please, Lexi...Please, let me go back inside and change into something nicer."

" Talking with your clothes off inside of his house? ha,I'm sorry, Katherine. But, are you seriously talking about a change of clothing too. Don't worry, Mrs. Salvatore...We'll, give you a nice orange jump suit at the county jail before we go into talks about having you live in the state penitentiary for the rest of your life." Lexi smirked, placing her hand on top of Katherine's head and placed her into the back of the squad car as she watched her partner drag Elijah out of the house too, in a pair of shorts and a thin cotton t-shirt.

"We're just going to talk to you at the station, Mr. Mikaelson. You have nothing to worry." She stated, smiling up at Lexi and nodding, pulling him along with her as she watched Lexi get into her car and back out of the driveway, taking Katherine straight to the police department.

* * *

"It's done. We got them." Lexi said, leaning her against a table in one of the empty interrogation rooms as she listened to Katherine being interrogated and held the cell phone into her other hand, listening to a sigh come out of Stefan's mouth.

"You didn't get any of my messages, did you?" He asked her in a frantic tone, running his fingers through his hair and glancing over at Elena who was watching TV, a smile appearing on her face as she sat and watched reruns of The Bachelor.

"No, I just got back into the station. I didn't have time to check my messages, Stefan. I was too busy arresting Katherine for murder. Now, what's going on?" She asked him in an annoyed tone as he stepped out of Elena's room and closed the door behind him.

"Elena remembered what happened to her, Lexi. Katherine didn't pull the trigger. You were right, Matt Donovan was Elena's boyfriend.. But, he was also the one who shot her, leaving her at the paper mill, hoping that no one would find her. But, we have a problem- a very big one-no one can find Matt anywhere. And, we need to find him, Lexi. He could have left the country undetected and that is a problem." Stefan told her.

Stefan huffed out a breath, taking a moment to think and then he told her in a firm and confident tone. "I'll handle it as long as no one stops me- including you, I will take care of this. I'll have a few different people look after Elena, take turns checking up on her. She'll be safe since you'll be busy detaining Katherine. And, I'll have Klaus take over Dasells for a few days. Just get something to stick to Katherine's charges so that she won't be released before I come back." Stefan explained as Lexi opened her mouth to argue with him. But, she quickly stopped herself when he added. "It's Elena, Lexi. She means more to me than you'll ever know and I'll do anything to keep her safe. So, if it means going after Matt Donovan and finding him myself. I'll do it."

"Stefan. That's insane. You're not a cop! You don't even know where to look for him at!" She tried to say as he scoffed at her words and smirked just a bit. "Yeah, I'm not a police officer. I'm fully aware of that. However, you're wrong about the other thing...You're the one who tipped me off to where he's from..He's running scared and most likely, he won't be hard to find- unless Katherine paid him off and he went overseas. Besides, I'm not going alone. I'm going to call Damon and convince him to come with me. Shouldn't be that hard since my brother feels the same way I do about scumbags like Matt Donovan. Once Matt comes across us. He's going to wish he never got involved with Elena at all. Believe me, he'll never see it coming."

"Stefan! What are going to do to him when you find him? Stefan! I want him alive..You better not-." She began to say as Stefan laughed a little and popped his neck to the side. "Relax, Officer Branson. I'm just going to sit down with him and my brother and the three of us are going to have a friendly little chat about Elena Gilbert. That's it."

* * *

"Hey you..Who were you talking to out there?" Elena asked him, watching Stefan come back into her room as he placed his cell phone into the back pocket of his jeans, a relaxed smiled appearing across his face when he pulled up a chair and grabbed a hold of her hand, his face suddenly becoming unusually serious.

"Elena, I want to talk to you about something..." He began to say, grabbing a hold of her hand into his own gently. Elena felt Stefan's thumb stroke the top of her hand as she looked up at him, still smiling but not as much as she was when she first saw him walk through the door.

"What''s going on?" Elena asked him, her eyes filled with curiosity as Stefan leaned back into his chair, right before kissing the top of her hand and locking his forest green eyes on to her. "I need to go away for a few days. Damon and I have this silly conference in New York and it's going to be really boring. I don't want you to worry though. I'm going to be calling and checking in on you, the whole time that I'm there. I promise and you're going to be safe here. I called your brother and asked if he could come down to be with you- until I get back and we'll make plans to leave this city, together."

"Stefan, why didn't you tell me about this before..Does it have anything to do with Katherine?" Elena asked him, her eyes narrowing as he gently lifted up her chin so that her eyes were level with his, he smiled a bit, caressing her cheek when he said. "I don't want you to worry about anything, Elena. All I want is you to be safe and to focus on getting better."

"But, tell me where your going." Elena begged him, as he leaned into her, kissing her forehead and telling her to scoot over. Elena obliged as she watched him push back the covers and just like before, he slide under the sheets beside her, pulling her against his chest and stroking the top of her head as he exhaled heavily with his other hand intertwined with hers when he said. "Close your eyes for a moment."

"Why?" She questioned, resting her chin on his chest as she gazed up at him and saw a small grin form across his lips.

"Just humor me." He told her with a laugh, glancing at her to make sure that she had done as he had asked and when she had both of her eyes closed he took her hand and slipped something that was cool to the touch against her right hand and onto her finger.

Elena swallowed hard, smiling just a little when she felt Stefan kiss her hand that he had placed what she knew was a ring on it. "Open them now." He told her softly, watching as she looked down at the ring and saw exactly what it was.

"It's an infinity ring..." Her voice trailed off as he smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her lips, his thumb rubbing her cheek when he corrected her as he leaned back to look at her. "It's a promise ring that after all of this is over that we'll still be together. I've been waiting to give it to you for awhile now and right now seemed like the perfect timing."

"Stefan, where are you going?" She asked him once more in a pleading tone, hearing him exhale. He hated keeping secrets from her, he hated lying to her. But, he had no choice. He couldn't tell her the truth, he didn't want her to worry about him.

"I told you. It's just a conference in New York with Damon regarding Dasells. It's going to be just for a few days. Then, I'll be back." He tried to say again as she rolled her eyes at him and got up from her position beside him clearly agitated with him when she swung her legs over the bed and slowly tried to stand on her shaky legs.

"Elena. Please-." He began to say as she shook her head, leaning against a chair in her room when she glared up at him. "You're lying to me!" She shouted out into the suddenly quiet room as she watched him get up too, attempting to help her as he watched her slowly lift up her hospital gown, revealing her bruises and her incision that the doctors had made to save her life.

"Please, Stefan for once in our relationship. Be honest with me. I was shot, Stefan! I was shot by a man that I thought was never going to find me again because your wife and my sister brought him back to town. He found me because of her and now, because of it..I'll be left with this as a reminder, every single day of what he did to me, for the rest of my life and god knows what else from his actions. Who's going to love me like this, if the doctors tell me that I can't have kids..Who's going to want to be with me, like this?" Elena asked him angrily, her hands shaking as she lowered the gown and watched Stefan slowly approached her now trembling body, pulling her into his arms.

"I will. I always will want you. No matter what happens, Elena. I always will." He told her, kissing the top of her head as he held her and felt her shaking body calm just a bit as she began to cry when he stated abruptly. "I don't want to lie to you anymore. So, here's the truth. I'm going with Damon to find Matt and we're going to stop him from hurting you, Elena. He needs to pay for what he did, he can't just walk free after everything he's done."

She slowly lifted up her face from his chest, her voice stammering as she tried to say something. But, Stefan placed his finger on to her lips when he uttered out. "I'm doing this for you, because of you. I want you to know that before you start to hate me, that I'm doing this so that you don't have to live in fear anymore. Because, I love you more than anything and you mean so much more to me than you'll ever know. You're safe with me, Elena. But, I want Matt gone and-" Stefan began to say as he heard a knock at the door before it was pushed open and Jeremy stepped inside, his hands in his pockets and small smile on his face that quickly turned into a frown as Stefan kissed Elena once more before stepping away from her, shocked looking face.

"Take care of her for me, for the next few days. And make sure that under no circumstances does anyone that I don't authorize come into her room." He told him as he watched Elena lean against the bed, tears streaming down her face when she said in a hoarse and begging voice. "Don't go, Stefan..don't go..Please, Stefan, come back!"

"He'll be back, Elena. I promise, he will." Jeremy told her, helping her back into the bed as he nodded at Stefan who was closing the door behind him. Elena leaned into Jeremy and sobbed when Stefan's footsteps couldn't be heard anymore.

Stefan's cell phone was already in his hands as he texted Damon while walking down the hall.

_Just leaving the hospital now. Left Elena with her brother. Called and talked to Klaus and Caroline, they said that they'll keep an eye on her too. So, you ready to plan this little trip?"_

He made his way out through one set of the double doors outside of the hospital. But, just as he made it through the second set that lead to the street, he was swarmed with cameras flashing in his face and eager news reporters that were shouting at him. "Mr. Salvatore! Mr. Salvatore, what are your thoughts on your wife, Katherine Salvatore being arrested for the attempted murder of her twin sister, Elena Gilbert? Mr. Salvatore are you going to finally admit that you've been having an intimate relationship with Elena?"

His eyes widened, body stiffened and just when he opened his mouth to speak, he felt himself being shoved into a car by a man that had his hands firmly placed on to his shoulders. It had happened so quickly that Stefan didn't even have time to blink. But, when he heard the door shut from behind him and glanced up to see who had shoved him inside of his yellow Lamborghini Aventador sports car with tinted windows, he smiled.

"I just saved your ass from being eaten alive by those vultures. A thank you would have been nice." Damon smirked, placing the car into drive and peeling out from the parking lot, smirking to himself as dust collected behind them and he made his way on to the freeway.

"Damon?" Stefan questioned, opening his mouth as he lifted his hand and smiled, explaining. "Lexi called me, telling me that you wanted to go on a hunt for Elena's ex-boyfriend by yourself. She called you crazy and then she told me that I should tag along. Don't worry, I finally got your message from Rebekah and she agreed that she and Caroline would try to go and befriend Elena. They don't know her very well, so that should be awkward. But, where are we going?" Damon asked him.

"I thought you wouldn't want to come with me, after everything that's happened." Stefan told him, hearing Damon snort out a laugh.

"Please, you need me, Stefan. So, I'm here. Now, are we taking a private plane or are we riding coach and acting like normal people and not rich business men?" Damon asked him with a smile as he watched Stefan stare out the window when he noticed that they were going towards the airport.

"Normal people, Damon. We're staying low key." He replied flatly, gazing over to see Damon's eyebrow arch when he opened his mouth to ask him another question. But, Stefan replied before he could even say anything. "North Carolina, Damon..We're going to North Carolina to try and find Matt Donovan. " Stefan explained as Damon shook his head and smiled. "Okay then, low key and coach plane tickets it is...Let's go pay old Matty a nice visit, if he hasn't already left town yet."

"I highly doubt that he has. But, trust me..Once we find him. He's going to wish he had." Stefan told Damon, glanced out the window and getting lost in his own thoughts as they drove towards the airport in silence.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all found that interesting :) Feel free to leave me a review.**

**Follow me on Twitter at :BePassionate_24 for updates or just to chat.**

**Thanks for reading & Until next time!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Within Temptation-Chapter Twenty-Nine**

“I shouldn’t be here, Damon.” Stefan commented as they sat down inside of the Raleigh-Durham International airport at a bar.

“Oh, come on. You have it under control, don’t you?” Damon asked him, watching as Stefan sat beside him on a bar stool, nervously tapping his hand against the wooden table, glancing around the small bar area.

“I don’t right now. All I want is a drink, Damon. I really just want a drink because I keep thinking about everything he did to her. It makes me want to beat the shit out of him, Damon. I want to find him and I want to kill him. I want to make Matt’s life a living hell. Because, that’s what he did to me. I sat by Elena’s bedside for three weeks, watching Elena flat line in front of me twice. She died on that table, Damon and there was nothing that I could do. All I did was stand back as the doctors and nurses rushed into her room,  and worked on her. And, while I watched the life drain out of her... I thought about the few dozen moments that we were together, really together.” Stefan confessed to his brother, as they both watched the bartender walk over to them, a smile on his face when he threw a white towel over his shoulder. “What can I get for you two today?”

“We’re day drinking.” Damon stated with a smile, patting Stefan on his back as he looked over at the bartender and then back at the struggling look on his brother’s face.

“A scotch on the rocks for me and..a sparkling water with a lime for my brother over here.” Damon ordered as the bartender nodded and Stefan looked over at him.

“I know that you’re feeling anxious about this. But, I’m not going to let you  give up on yourself now. Stefan, you're an addict. And, we both know that if you take that drink in your hands right now because of how you’re feeling, that it’s not going to help you. So, to calm you down. I have a better idea...Tell me more about, Elena Gilbert.” Damon said, smiling over at his little brother as he saw Stefan run his hands over his face in clear frustration. It was hard for him. Being in a place that was such a temptation. But, hearing Elena’s name and thinking about her, made him calm.

“I love her, Damon. I love her and maybe, after all of this is over with Matt and Katherine, maybe in  a few years after Elena and I are settled down somewhere, out of the limelight and all these damn tabloids. Then, I’ll make her my wife and we’ll live somewhere nice and out of city limits, off a beaten path. Just the two of us, living a good life.” Stefan confessed truthfully.

“ I can already see that she makes you a better person. But, Stefan. I had no idea that you saw a future with her.” Damon told him, taking his glass of scotch from the bartender as he placed it on to the table and nodded when he walked away from them.

“Yeah, I never thought that I would either. But, Elena’s different than Katherine. She’s warm and sweet, kind and caring. She’s everything that Katherine isn’t, everything that she hasn’t been for a very long time.” He told Damon, nodding and taking a sip of the sparkling water in front of him when Damon cleared his throat and asked. “When was the first time you saw the difference between them. Like, not just slightly. But, really saw them as two different people. Instead of being fooled by Elena being Katherine.” Damon heard himself ask Stefan, watching Stefan’s eyes close shut, a huffed out breath escaping past his lips when he added.

“When Elena came to see me in rehab while I was having a really bad night. One of the counselors allowed us to talk and be together privately for a few hours. It was against the rules, the guy could have lost his job if anyone had found out. But, he thought that seeing her would help me.” Stefan explained as he turned away from his brother and glanced out the window that overlooked the tarmac, getting lost in his memories…

_“You shouldn’t be here.” He nearly shouted at her, knocking over a stack of papers that had flown all over the room, making it look as if a hurricane had blown through his room._

_Elena swallowed the lump in her throat. “The rehab called me, Stefan. Your counselor called me because he said that you were….” She began to say, wrapping herself up more into her puffy dark brown peacoat, taking a step inside of this room, watching as he  pivoted on his heels and he glared at her with such hatred in his green eyes, sweat beads falling from his face as he lashed out at her. “Because he said that I was what? Out of control? Elena, I’m fine..I’m totally fine. You should leave, go..NOW. I don’t want you here, I don’t need you here!”_

_“I’m not leaving, Stefan. Not until you tell me what’s going on..Please, talk to me.” Elena begged, taking slower and cautious steps into his room as he leaned his hands flatly against the wall, the tension and anger was visible in the way he moved his body, flexed his muscles when she heard him exhale and then he finally turned towards her briskly, his body shaking with anger and what she knew was a symptom of withdrawals._

_“I need it...Elena, I need to get out of here, I need the drugs, I need them..They help me, with the pain..Please, Elena..Please...Get them to me. Please, Elena...I need them..I can’t be without it..I need them!” He begged her in a strangled tone, walking towards her as Elena stood her ground, her hands shook as tears welled up into her eyes at the sight of him._

_“When’s the last time you slept, the last time you ate something?” Elena questioned, changing the subject to something else quickly. He watched her slowly lifting her hands up to his face as her thumbs stroked the stubble that had grown over the last few months that he had been at the rehab center, without any visitors or contact, up until Elena had been given the go ahead to see him again._

_“Stefan, this going to be hard. This is going to be the fight of your life and I could go out right now and get you what you needed. But, I refuse to be an enabler. I refuse to watch you fall back into who you were, who you think you are. Because, that person isn’t you, Stefan.” Elena told him, her own tears making an appearance as she inhaled sharply, trying to calm herself when she held his face into her own hands and stared directly into his eyes._

_“I’m not Katherine..Stefan, I’m not going to leave you...I’m not going to give up on you. I promise, I promise, I’ll be right here, until you don’t need me anymore. I’ll be here even after you don’t need me anymore. I believe in you.” She told her, feeling her cheeks heat and the tears begin to fall as she watched him open his mouth, licking his lips._

_Elena felt her body being pushed closer towards him, the feeling of his own tears falling against her skin as she removed her hands from his face and grabbed a hold of his hand, slowly walking him towards his unmade bed, the sheets falling off the bed. Elena let go of his hand for a moment, shrugging off her jacket and removing her shoes as she crawled across the bed to the other side, watching Stefan go around it, a tired expression coloring his face._

_“Why are you doing this?” He asked her, his voice raw and exhausted when he pushed over the covers and slide into them, right behind her._

_Elena turned towards him, laying down as she watched Stefan do the same, his muscles exploding with tremors when he finally laid his fragile feeling body beside hers and she grabbed a hold of his hands once more, kissing them and staring at him across from the small distance that separated them._

_“Close your eyes.” Stefan told her, lifting his hand up to touch her face as Elena smiled just a bit._

_“I’m in hell, Elena. I don’t want you to see me like this, you don’t need to see me like this.” He tried to tell her, clearly attempting to push her away. Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, moving her body so that she was just inches away from Stefan, their eyes locked on to each others when she stated. “I don’t care. We’re going to get through this together. You can’t push me away from you, Stefan. Because, I still won’t leave.”_

_Stefan nervously bit down on his lower lip, shivering as he felt her move closer, pulling him towards her when she wrapped her body against his own. Elena tucked her head under his chin, listening to the rapid fast pace of his heart beat, inhaling and exhaling deeply._

_“You’re going to be okay, you’re going to be just fine. I know you will be.” She confirmed, his shivering stopped when he whispered softly into her ear, leaning down against her face. “I felt so lost until I met you. But, now….Being with you, having you here with me..has made me feel like I can fight this.”_

_Elena smiled just a little, tightening her arms around his waistline as she glanced up at him and spoke in a soft tone. “Because you can fight this. You don’t need me to show you how to fight this disease, Stefan."_

_She could feel his body tense again, a heavy sigh escaping out of his mouth when he removed one of his arms from her body, taking his hand and placing it on to her cheek, stroking it gently when he finally replied. “I do need you, Elena. I need you more than you know. Because, I love you.”_

_She smiled at him, leaning her forehead against his own and whispering into the now calmed environment around them. “I love you too. That’s why you need to stay with me, Stefan. We’ll fight this together no matter how long it takes.”_

_Stefan could feel her warm breath wash over his face as he leaned into her, their lips just inches apart. She could feel his lips getting closer, just before he kissed her when he whispered quietly. “I will, because I want to prove to you that I can be the man that you deserve, no matter how long it takes.”_

“She’s more to me than just Katherine’s sister, Damon. Elena’s showed me how to live again...You know, every time she showed up at the rehab center, I was reminded that I had a reason to live. Damon, she showed me that I could have a future, a better one than this.” Stefan told him, feeling Damon pat his shoulder, nodding.

“That’s why I want to do this for her, Damon. I want to find Matt and I want to make him suffer...I want to repay her for everything she’s done for me.” Stefan added, seeing a small smile spread across Damon’s mouth.

“You’re really in love with Elena, aren’t you?” He questioned, watching Stefan nod, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth when he shrugged his shoulders back and included. “Yeah, I am. I can’t picture my life without her. Damon, once we find Matt, I need to know what you’ll back me up.” Stefan said, hearing Damon sigh out a breath when he glanced over at his brother, nodding.

“Of course I will. But, Stefan...What are you going to do to him once we find him?” Damon asked, watching Stefan’s jaw clench as he inhaled deeply before replying.

“I don’t know yet. But, we’re here. So, we might as well find him as soon as we can, before he disappears.” Stefan replied, pushing himself off the bar stool as he watched Damon do the same, paying for their drinks and throwing down a few extra dollars for the bartender. “Keep the change, buddy. I’ve got plenty of it.” Damon said with a smile as he lifted his sunglasses and smiled at the guy who looked stunned, lifting his hand up to tell his co worker who had just seen.

“Damon, don’t do that anymore. We’re not here to get into the newspapers, again!” Stefan hissed, yanking Damon by his arm as they walked out of the bar with their suitcases rolling behind them.

“We could have just gotten a hotel before hand, this is going to suck, Stefan. We are we going to sleep tonight? You know, I never have to worry about that...ever. But-.” Damon began to say, watching Stefan stop in front of him, placing his hand up to force his brother from talking anymore.

“I don’t want to hear it, Damon. I have a friend who lives here, we’ll be staying with her. She’s a lawyer and I need her legal advice.” Stefan said, watching Damon tilt his head to the side in confusion. “You have friends? I thought all you had was me.” He commented in a joking manner, receiving an eyeroll from Stefan who was beyond annoyed and exhausted at this point.

“Yes, Damon. I have friends, connections too and in order to be low key while we’re here, searching for Matt. I’m going to need all the help I can get. So, I already called her, explained part of the situation and she told me to come over, to stay at her place until we figure everything out.” Stefan informed Damon, waving his brother along as they walked towards the escalators.

“Do I know this friend of yours? You know, I have connections here too, Stefan. Just not the same ones you have…If you know what I mean. Mine are a lot more intimate.” Damon explained, his comment causing Stefan to crack a small smile. The first one that he had seen his younger brother have in a few days.

“Actually, you do. And, If I remember correctly. You used to sleep with her.” Stefan said, leaning against the railing of the escalator as it took them up towards the second portion of the airport and towards the parking garage.

“Wait, Stefan. Who is it though..Rebekah’s going to hate this. The two of us staying at…” His voice trailed off as he followed his brother outside and when he looked up, that’s when Damon saw her. Her long lean legs pressed against the sparkling red Lexus as her medium length brown hair blew in the wind that had picked up, the smirk on her face never leaving when she heard him shout as he gazed up at her and then back up at Stefan. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She crinkled her nose, pushed herself off the car, unlocking the doors when she smiled and walked over to Damon, smiling just a little more. “I’m just as surprised to see you again too, Damon.”

He looked sick to his stomach as he inhaled sharply and locked his intense blue gaze onto her, muttering out. “The last time I saw you-”

She smiled, stepping forward as she whispered into his ear. “You and I were sleeping together. And, you used to call me your girlfriend..Am I right?  So, Tell me, Damon. How is Rebekah, the girl you chose over me?”

Damon bit down on his lower lip, gazing up at Meredith Fell with an awe struck glance. “She’s good. We’re expecting a baby and we’re engaged.” He explained, watching Meredith smirk as she leaned towards him and smiled.

“Damon Salvatore, settling down with the girl that used to be my best friend..Is he serious?” She asked, turning towards Stefan who was too busy texting Elena when he finally looked over at the pair of them, nodding. “He is. Who would have thought.”

“I would have never pegged you for the marriage or settling down type, Damon.” Meredith teased, hearing him exhale as he looked up at her.

“The person you knew back when we dated was different, Mere. Being with Rebekah has changed me into a better person. And, I’m happy.” He remarked, brushing past her as she smirked and nodded. “Good, because the Damon I knew was a spoiled jerk.”

“Look, I’d love to listen to you two hash out the past. But..” Stefan began to say, feeling the vibration of his phone jolt through his hand as he held it into his palm and glanced down at it.

“Be safe...I love you.” It read across the screen as he smiled, hovering his fingers over the screen to reply back to Elena’s text. But, just as he did so, he heard Damon finish his sentence. “We have work to do.”

“Good, because your brother called me to help you guys. So, where are we going first?” Meredith asked them as she opened the drivers side door and slide into the seat, watching Damon and Stefan both sit down in her car as she looked through the rearview mirror, directly at Stefan who leaned his head back and stated. “Back to your house, actually. Because, we need a plan and I need to tell you a few things first."

* * *

 

“I want my lawyer! I want to make a phone call to him.” Katherine stated, placing her hands in front of her as she gazed down at Lexi who had an amused look on her face, turning over the file that she had started on Katherine.

“Here’s the thing, if you’re innocent. We wouldn’t be really talking about lawyers right now. So-.” Lexi began to say, becoming interrupted by a knock at the door that made her look up and just as she opened her mouth to add more to their discussion, a tall blonde and blue eyed young man in a dark blue suit came strolling into the room with a black briefcase in his left hand.

“ I’m sorry to burst your bubble, Officer Branson. But, my client has already said way more than she should have. I’ve advised her to not speak to you anymore, that is until we sort this mess out. The only person that Katherine Salvatore will be speaking with in regards to these accusations against her, is me.” He stated, tapping his hand against the door as he walked into the interrogation room.

“Who the hell are you?” Lexi asked him, watching as he placed his briefcase down and glanced over at Katherine who looked as if she was shaking a bit. Lexi placed her hands on to her hips, an irritated expression riddled her face when she watched him extend out his hand towards her like some sort of peace offering when he introduced himself in a firm tone. “My name is Wes Whitmore and I’ll be the one providing legal counsel to Katherine Salvatore, regarding these ridiculous accusations. Now, tell me..Officer, do you really believe that my client would try to take her own sister’s life? I honestly think that you’re wasting your time on this and pointing fingers at the wrong individual.”

Lexi let out an agitated laugh as she stopped herself from rolling her eyes at him when she placed her hand against the table, watching Wes open his briefcase that was quickly shut when Lexi slammed her fist down against it. “I don’t believe anything until I see it. So, for right now. I’m not going to play nice cop anymore, Mr. Whitmore. Your client is screwed if she doesn’t talk to me and so are you, if you keep preventing her from doing so. Because, I have evidence that could put her away for a long time. So, I suggest that Katherine stops hiding behind you and tells me the truth.”

Lexi’s eyes glared up at her, she inhaled deeply and directed her attention towards Katherine who looked smaller and a bit intimidated all of a sudden by the blonde’s words.

“You don’t need to say anything at all.” Wes advised as he looked over at Katherine who rolled her eyes, placing her well manicured hands on to the table in front of them when she finally opened her mouth and said. “You want to know the truth, Officer Branson? The truth is that I am partly involved in Elena’s incident. But, I didn’t try to kill her! That was his idea. All I wanted was to scare Elena away from Stefan. However, Matt got involved and made matters worse.” Katherine elaborated.

“That’s enough, Katherine.” Wes warned, his jaw tightening as she ignored his warning and continued to explain. “There’s nothing to hide anymore, Wes. I didn’t try to kill her, Matt Donovan, her ex boyfriend did. I personally think that she should have gotten a restraining order against him. Maybe none of this would have happened in the first place and I wouldn’t be the one accused.”

Lexi shook her head, taking a seat across from Wes and Katherine when she firmly said. “You know what I think. I think that, you should have never brought him back into her life if you knew he wanted to kill her when he found her! That’s what I think.”

Katherine exhaled deeply as she blinked up at Lexi, opening her mouth to speak as the police officer briskly got up, turning behind her and grabbing a file folder off a chair in the room. When she turned back towards Katherine she was smiling just a little as she said. “I know a lot about you, Katherine. Personally, me speaking with you, is a huge conflict of interest. Although, I don’t really care. Because, you and I will be sitting in this room for a while, unless you speak up and tell me the truth! I have all night to wait. But, I’d prefer if we just cut to the chase fairly quickly.”

Katherine squirmed in her seat, Lexi’s brown eyes bore into hers when she finally stated. “If you really wanted to scare her off, Katherine. You could have just told her to leave town without all of this nonsense of bringing Matt back into her life. Although, that wasn’t part of your plan at all, was it..? And, Matt Donovan was another ploy in this twisted game of yours.”

Her teeth ground together, eyes darkened when she sighed out a heavy breath. “Matt was and is a complication. I mean, for his sake, I hope he’s long gone. But, that’s unlikely.”

“Wait, you know where he is?” Lexi pressed her. Katherine was becoming clearly irritated and just when she was about to say something, Lexi made the connection. “He’s still in Chicago, he’s not where I thought he was at all, Shit! He’s still in the city, isn’t he?”

She watched Katherine turn towards Wes who was looking up at Lexi and then back over at Katherine, her brown eyes glued to him when she muttered out. “You’re the cop, Lexi. That’s for you to figure out.”

“He’s still out there, looking for her because he knows she’s not dead. That’s why he’s not gone yet..He’s waiting for something.” Lexi observed, watching Katherine lick her lips which were quivering just a little when she nodded.

“I didn’t pay him off, the money was fake and wasn’t placed in his account like I said I’d do. So, he’s out for blood. But, not just hers. Mine too. I’m in danger, just as much as Elena is!” Katherine confessed abruptly, hearing Lexi huff out a breath, leaning towards Katherine and narrowing her eyes at her when she stated. “Oh, you’ll be fine in these four walls, all alone for a while. But, your sister on the other hand, she’s exposed in that hospital and that isn’t a good thing.”

Katherine shrugged her shoulders back, staring up at Lexi who had a glistening of determination in her eyes. “I’m going to go make a few phone calls because for the next 72 hours. You’re going to be in here and Elena, is going to need to be moved out of that hospital to somewhere safe.”

“72 hours in this jail house?” Katherine questioned, her nose crinkling as Lexi let out a small laugh and shook her head, lifting herself away from the table as she gazed over at Wes who was just as stunned by her words when she added. “Don’t worry, Katherine. If I feel sorry enough for you after everything you’ve done...I might take you to the real prison and keep you there for a while with the big girls, in a cell with four walls that I like to call solitary confinement.”

* * *

 

“So, you’re in love with your wife’s sister...Wow, that’s complicated.” Meredith stated as she handed Stefan a cold water bottle from the fridge and sat down across from him on her leather couch in the living room, glancing outside through her patio doors at  Damon who was talking on his cell phone, his face looking worried and tiresome.

“Once this is all over, once she’s better and I get back home. Elena and I will be moving into a house that I own, it’s hours away from the city and it’s very well protected. It’s a cabin in the woods, with a lot of acreage and a very good security system.” Stefan elaborated as he looked up to hear the sliding door being pushed open and Damon reappeared.

“Stefan, I just talked to Rebekah and we have a problem.” Damon informed, watching Stefan give him a confused look, rubbing his temples with his hands.

“What is it? Is it Elena, is she okay?” Stefan questioned, worry in his tone. Damon watched his younger brother nearly jump up off the couch, stepping in front of him as he locked his darkened green eyes on to Damon’s gaze.

“Lexi Branson called Rebekah. And, she said that Elena’s not out of the woods..She said, we have a complication.”  Damon admitted. Stefan tilted his head to the side, taking a few more steps towards his older brother, his fingers tightly fastened into fists and his jaw clenched as he spoke. “I know that, that’s why once she’s healed and better. We’re moving her to the cabin, Damon. So, that I can look after her. I don’t care if I have to hire medical staff to make sure that she heals too...I’d do anything to keep her from being harmed.”

Damon shook his head, exhaling heavily when he retorted. “Stefan, Lexi was wrong. She told us to look here and that we might be able to find Matt here. But, this isn’t where Matt is, Stefan! He’s still in Chicago and he knows she’s not dead...Which only means…” Damon’s voice trailed off when he gazed up at his brother and then towards Meredith who softly finished his thoughts for him. “It means that if she isn’t moved out of that hospital and to somewhere safe, he’s going to come after her again...He thought he killed her at the papermill when he shot her. But, the news report of Elena still being alive, tipped him off, not Katherine. Matt stayed in Chicago and had Katherine take the fall for him and get arrested. Because he’s laying low until he goes after Elena again. Since, her staying alive wasn’t part of his plan. It’s a complication to it.”

“Give me your phone!” Stefan shouted, his hands shaking as he extended them out to Damon who placed his Iphone into  the palm of his brother’s hand. “Who are you going to call, Stefan? Elena’s too weak to be moved! She had surgery three weeks ago, you can’t move her someplace else, it would be a disaster!”

“Not if it keeps her safe and alive! So, if moving her now to the cabin is what I have to do, then so be it. Her brother’s a doctor, he can take care of her until we get back.” Stefan told him, watching Damon’s body fill with frustration at how stubborn he was being.

“Until we get back? We just got here!” Damon tired to argue as he heard Stefan let out a helpless laugh, shaking his head and gritting his teeth.

“I know. But, that’s where Meredith comes in. I need you to call one of our connections and I need you to get us three seats on a flight back to the city for us tomorrow morning.” Stefan told her, watching as she leaned back into her seat. “Three seats. Who’s the third one for?”

Stefan turned his head to look at her, a seriousness and ice cold glance in his once happy green eyes as he added. “For you. You’re coming with us, Meredith. Because, I’m going to need you to help me.”

“I haven’t practiced law in Chicago for a long time now, if a divorce lawyer is what you need. I can’t be one for you, Stefan...I’d be useless to you there.” She said, watching Stefan gaze down at the wooden floors of her house, glancing back up at her with an exhausted look on his face. “Then, find me someone who can help me divorce my wife and who can help me create a restraining order against Matt Donovan for the sake of Elena’s life.”

“Nothing happens, quickly, Stefan. These procedures could take months, even with evidence. It needs to be court approved and it depends on a lot of factors.” She commented, hearing him sigh heavily, running a hand through his hair when he finally locked his eyes back on to her.

“I know, so find me someone that you know locally in the city. But, I’m still going to need you, either way.” Stefan told her, hearing her exhale deeply.

“Why? I have things to do here, Stefan. I can’t just pick up and leave my practice when you need me. I’m your friend. But-.” She began to say as Stefan lifted up his hand, stopping her from adding more as he interrupted her and said. “To help us find him, Mere. I need you to help us find him before he makes his next move and finishes the job he now knows that he didn’t finish!"

* * *

 

“We’re moving her, tonight.” Rebekah stated, bursting into the room as she looked over at both Jeremy and Elena who were laughing about something. Both of them quickly stopped as the blonde glanced around the room, a large bag in her hands.

“Excuse me? Moving who..Where?” Jeremy asked, getting up from his seat as he stood up, just inches away from Rebekah, blocking her way from getting towards Elena.

“Your sister, Dr. Gilbert. She’s in danger and I just got off the phone with a friend who is also a police officer. She said that it isn’t safe for Elena to be here anymore. So, we have to do whatever we have to do to get her moved out of here. Do you understand me? Now, get out of my way!” She ordered, placing her hands on to her hips and rolling her eyes at him.

“Her wounds are still healing. She still needs medical care and this is the best place for her right now. I’m not moving her, anywhere!” Jeremy stated in an angered tone, watching Rebekah lift her finger and point towards the outside of Elena’s hospital room.

“Will you excuse us just for a little moment...I need to speak to your brother, privately.” Rebekah said in a sugar coated tone, pulling Jeremy by his arm and outside of the room as she shut the door behind her.

“Legally, that can’t be done. She’s still a patient at this hospital and we can’t just move her without a cause and without approval by her doctors..” Jeremey stated, watching Rebekah roll her eyes, continuing to walk.

Rebekah pulled him along with her as she walked down the hall, making sure to be a few feet away from Elena’s room. “I just got off the phone with my fiance and a police officer friend of his brother’s. Elena, your sister and the girl that looks like the woman that I can’t stand..Is in danger of being a target by that same creep that shot her once already. So, here’s what we’re going to do...We’re going to move her somewhere safe even if you disagree with me.”

“Hospital discharge is a complicated process. She needs to be healed enough before she can be moved and that can’t be determined by me. I’m not her primary doctor. I’m her brother! If we were to move her and something happened, she’d have to be readmitted.” He argued with her, watching the blonde smile at him, shaking her head.

“Well, the problem with that is that we don’t have a lot of time. He knows where she is and  he could easily walk into this facility, to come after her again. So, here’s the next best plan...We get her out of here tonight with a reason. Look, I overheard one of the staff members that brought Elena in a few weeks ago. They said she was healing nicely and could go home soon. Our only options seem to be this, we wait it out until she’s discharged by them and Matt finds her again or we convince them that you’d take care of her and that she could go home with you, very soon.”

“What are you saying?” Jeremy asked her, watching Rebekah place a strand of her hair behind her ears as she smiled just slightly, looking around the hospital halls as she pulled out an envelope from her purse that had a rubber band around it. Jeremey watched as Rebekah placed it against his chest and smirked up at him. “I’m saying that if my words don’t convince you. Maybe this will. It’s for you, from Damon and Stefan. But, it’s more so from my fiance. He wants this done without any hitches or red alarms going off. So, I suggest you figure out how to move her without a problem.”

“Wait..What is this?” He questioned, watching Rebekah smirk as she pointed to the thick and heavy envelop in his hands.

“It’s a payment in advance. It’s for your medical help and to purchase all the equipment you’ll need while taking care of her. Because, once she leaves this hospital and goes to where Stefan is going to keep her safe. They both want  to make sure that you are her primary care physician.” Rebekah told him, pivoting on her heels, starting to walk down the hall as Jeremey ran after her, slowly placing his hand on to her arm, spinning her around towards him.

“I want to help her. But, I can’t get involved with this, Rebekah.” Jeremy said, hearing Rebekah sigh out a breath, her blue eyes locking on to his confused gaze when she firmly spoke. “If Stefan wants you to be her, doctor. That is what you’re going to be. He’s a very powerful man, Jeremy. And, he protects the ones he loves very fiercely. Especially when it comes to a woman that it’s clear he loves and would do anything for. To tell you the truth, you don’t have a choice in this at all. Until, he tells you that he doesn’t need you anymore. So, I’d advise that you help him out. Because, getting on Stefan’s bad side, isn’t where you want to be.”

She watched him nod, wearily breathing out a breath when he locked his eyes on to her and replied. “I just wanted to reconnect with her. I didn’t want to get involved in this at all."

Rebekah laughed a little, taking a step away from him and turning away  as she spoke over her shoulder. “It’s too late for that, Jermey. Now, figure out a way to get her out of here without getting too much attention from anyone.”

Jeremey swallowed hard as he looked up at Rebekah who had a small smirk forming across her lips when he asked. “How long do I have to move her out?”

Rebekah’s grin became wide, as she pivoted on her heels, placing her hands on to her growing baby bump when she unflinchingly declared.  “You’ve got 72 hours to figure this out and make it happen. Tick Tock, Dr. Gilbert...Times wasting.”

* * *

 

  
**A/N: Hope you all liked this update! :)**   
  
  
**Until Next Time & Thanks so much for reading!!   
**


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey all! As many of you had said...If you've read my other stories..I do really like making Matt the crazy character in my stories because it's so unlike his character on the show! ;) Anyways, here's CH.30. Hope you all like it!  
**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty **

"What do you mean, he's moving her? Are you insane, she just had a major surgery. You tell that man that he's not doing it!" Caroline spit out angrily, staring across the waiting room at the small coffee shop across from her, the aroma of vanilla, caramel and the image of a good cup of coffee filled her senses. Caroline needed a break- she needed one badly. She was hungry and tired, spending the most of her day babysitting Sarah while Klaus went back to work was hard on her.

"Honey, don't touch that!" Caroline scolded Sarah as she ran her hands over a stuffed animal, pouting up at her mother with a quivering lip and bright loving blue eyes.

"But, momma! I want it play with it." Sarah began to argue, watching her mother cross her legs over each other as a sigh escaped past her lips and she spoke to Klaus on the phone.

"Stefan wants me to get to know her and honestly, I don't see a point in moving her to another location. She's safest here, in the hospital." Caroline pointed out, looking up to suddenly see Sarah talking to a tall man that was kneeled down in front of her, admiring the little girls curly blonde hair.

"Sarah!" Caroline yelled, pushing up off the chair as she hurriedly walked over to her daughter who stood awestruck in front of the man in a baseball hat. Caroline pulled Sarah close, wearily looking him over as he smiled up at her and extended out his hand. "You must be Caroline Mikaelson. I'm Jeremy Gilbert...I've heard a lot about you from both Katherine and Elena." He informed her, watching the blonde look down at her daughter who was smiling up at him and turning towards her mom.

"Momma. Dr. Gilbert gave me some candy." She said excitedly, opening up her little hand to show a few pieces of starburst as Caroline patted her daughters head and looked back up the tall brown haired young man. "Your Elena and Katherine's older brother?"

She watched him nod as he smiled at her, clearing his throat. " Yeah. I came over to introduce myself to you because I know you and Katherine were very close and with everything going on.." His voice trailed off as he watched Caroline's blue eyes narrowed, bending down towards Sarah as she pointed to a pile of children's books and toys in the waiting room that were behind them.

"Honey, how about you go play with those toys over that you wanted to play with earlier while mommy and Dr. Gilbert talk about some grown up things." Caroline commented, sending Sarah off as she turned back towards Jeremy who now had his hands in his pockets, leaning back on the soles of his Nike shoes.

"I'm going to need your help, Caroline. I know that you don't know Elena very well. But-." He began to say as Caroline lifted her hand and placed it over his arm, giving him a saddened look when she said. "But, Elena doesn't deserve this. Look, Jeremy, I'll help you with anything that I can. Just let me what I need to do." Caroline said, turning back to watch Sarah for a moment.

"Well, your husband knows the lead investigator in this case as well as Stefan does. So, I need the two of you to go down to the police station to convince her to release Katherine, I don't care how much the bail will be. I need them to release Katherine today, I need them to do it now." Jeremy told her, watching as Caroline gave him a confused look, stepping back and biting down on her lip nervously. "I can't do that, Jeremy."

"Why not?" He asked her, watching Caroline shift her gaze, her arms crossed over her chest as she locked her eyes on to Elena's older brother when she added. "Because, I'm the one responsible for Katherine being in there to begin with...I told the police that it was Katherine who shot Elena and now, that we know that it isn't her..I feel too guilty to face her. Do you even know what that feels like, to betray someone?"

"Caroline, I've never been in your shoes. But, I know it's hard. Although, you'll need to face her soon enough….You can't avoid her forever." Jeremy told her, watching as the blonde nodded her head, turning back towards her daughter. "I know." Caroline commented softly, tightening her hold on the purse she had over her shoulder as she added that she needed to take Sarah and drop her off with her mother before she went to speak with her husband.

"I'm going to see Katherine. And, maybe I can convince them to release her, so that we can help you. But, there are no guarantees. I'll ask around and see if anyone else can help me." Caroline softly added, turning away from him without another word and walking over to Sarah.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go drop you off at grandma's and then, mommy's going to go see daddy at work." Caroline told her daughter, helping her up as Sarah waved towards Jeremy just as Caroline locked her eyes on to him and stated. "I'll be in touch. But, like I said..I can't guarantee anything."

* * *

"Good news for you, Mr. Mikaelson. You're release has been requested. And, since we don't have that much reliable evidence to hold you or proof that you were involved in Elena Gilbert's case. The judge, granted the release with a small bail." Lexi stated, undoing the handcuffs that were around Elijah's wrists as she walked around the table to other side.

She watched as he rubbed his fingers against the imprint on his skin from them and he frowned up at her. "What? Why am I being released and not Katherine? What's going to happen to her?" Elijah asked Lexi, watching as the officer smiled at him sadly and placed her hands flatly against the stainless steel table in the interrogation room.

"We've come to the conclusion that you had nothing to do with this, Mr, Mikaelson and I'm sorry. But, I can't discuss an ongoing investigation with you in regards to what's going to happen to Mrs. Salvatore. Now, you might want to thank the person who paid your bail, although she wasn't very happy about handing over the money. I think she called you a bastard under her breath while she was paying it."

Lexi watched Elijah give her a confused look as she opened the door and allowed him to step in front of her, going first and walking out into the lobby where he could pick up his things that were signed into the police station. Elijah nervously grabbed his things, watching the guards gesture for him to exit out of the cell.

"She's waiting for you out by the doors, in the lobby area." One of them told him as they walked him out to the lobby. Elijah paused, looking around the lobby and noticing her leaning against the wall in her black Calvin Klein dress that he had gotten her a few Christmas's ago. Her brown pixie cut hair had grown out since she had moved out of the house and into a condo that was under both their names.

"Rose...What are you doing here?" He asked, crossing her arms over his chest, swallowing the lump in his throat, getting that feeling of his lungs becoming smaller and smaller as he breathed when he looked over at her.

"You may be a cheating son of bitch and I still hate you for what you did to me. But, I was listed as your emergency contact. Since, technically. I'm still your wife." Rose elaborated, pushing herself off of the wall and stepping in front him to go sign a few release forms as he watched her body tense with every movement she made.

"Just because I bailed you out doesn't mean that I want your forgiveness, Elijah. You cost me a lot of heartache and I'm done with you. So, after we walk out of here together, I don't give a damn where you go or who you see any longer. Because, I've already signed the divorce papers and they'll be waiting for you at the Salvatore's home, where you'll be permanently living from now on."

"Who says that I want to live there?" Elijah asked her, pushing open the glass double doors that lead out to the street and to the sidewalk, following Rose outside.

"They did." Rose commented in an irritated tone, taking her place beside the blonde as she smiled up at Elijah and winked. "Hi there, brother in law. Long time no see." Caroline stated with a smirk, pushing herself off the limo that she had been leaning against, noticing a group of photographers making their way towards them as Rose pulled her keys out of her purse and Caroline nearly shoved Elijah into the back seat of the limo.

"We better get going before the vultures start circling us. We've got it from here. Thank you, Rose." Caroline firmly stated, as Rose nodded, handing Caroline a file with her and Elijah's names on the side of it.

"Just make sure he shows up for the negotiation meeting about the divorce." Rose commented, pivoting on her heels as she walked away without another word.

"What the hell is going on?" Elijah asked in a demanding tone, hearing Klaus heavily exhale.

"Glad to see you too, brother." Klaus grinned, looking over at Caroline who had a smile across her face that didn't seem like it was going to fade any time soon as she finally spoke up.

"We'll explain once we get to a safer location."

"We're not going home, are we?" Elijah asked her, watching as she glanced over at Klaus who was looking out the window, watching the limo finally start to move from it's parked spot.

"Actually, we are. But, Katherine isn't, not yet at least. Apparently, she's still an asset in our plan." Klaus added, looking over at Elijah, then at Caroline as he cleared his throat and nudged his wife's shoulder. "Caroline, care to explain?"

"I'd love too. You see, Elijah….Katherine is going to be used as bait to lure Matt out of hiding. Since, he knows that Elena is still in a hospital in the area, I'm sure he's been looking for her at almost every one. He just hasn't been to the one that she's in yet. So, you won't be seeing Katherine for awhile. Until we say so." Caroline told him, watching his eyes widen as she lifted up her hand and quickly added. "But, you don't need to worry...She'll be fully protected, you can trust me on that. And, after everything is said and done and you're both divorced from your spouses. Then, you'll both be sent far away from here, by me and your brother. We'll make it worth your while."

* * *

"Katherine Salvatore. You've been lucky enough to have your bail posted and paid in full." Lexi stated through the cell bars, watching Katherine lift herself up off the cold cement slab in her jail cell as she awaited being moved from the county jail and into the what Lexi had called "The big house with the big girls."

"My what?" Katherine asked, tilting her head to the side, her eyes shifting around the room as she locked them on to Lexi's, noticing the worry in them as the cell doors opened and Lexi stepped inside.

"Your bail. You know, the thing that a judge grants when he sees that you aren't a threat to society and all the rest of that law jargon that I'd love to recite. But, I don't have time since he wants you out of here, now. Granted, if it were up to me. I'd keep you in here, Since I think that you are a threat. But, that's besides the point. Anyways, the man who paid the bail is outside waiting for you."

Katherine looked at Lexi, arching her eyebrow at her in confusion. "He ? Everyone hates me in this town and it's all because of my actions lately. Funny thing is, I don't blame them. So, who in their right mind would want to pay my bail amount of...how much?" She asked, hearing the detective let out a laugh, grumbling under her breath. "I really hope you're worth the $100,000 dollar bail he just posted for your sorry ass."

"Oh, trust me, Lexi. I am, remember? I'm the manipulative, psychotic bitch that everyone loves to hate. Now, why am I even being set free. I thought you weren't done questioning me yet?" Katherine asked her in a taunting tone as the blonde rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily.

"Stefan will explain it all. It's part of a bigger plan that he has for you. Now, let's get you the hell out of here before anyone finds out that you're being set free and someone tips the person responsible for harming your sister off. That, is the last thing I need today. Because, I want this to go off without a hitch." Lexi told her, lifting Katherine to her feet.

"Stefan posted my bail?" She asked in a flattered tone, watching Lexi release her arm and look around the lobby as she huffed out a breath, noticing Stefan standing a few feet away, towards the side of them.

"Stefan, thank you." Katherine commented as she walked up to him, watching him nod when he turned towards Lexi and remarked. "I'm not doing this for you. So, her release papers are all signed and once we leave here. I want you to make sure that her lawyer won't be a problem." Stefan instructed Lexi, watching her nod, glancing over at Katherine one last time.

"Are you going to need backup?" Lexi asked him, seeing him smile at her sweetly.

"Not this time. But, if we do..I'll let you know. I think it's going to work, it's a pretty solid plan and almost all of us are in the loop about it. Everyone except for, Elena." Stefan reassured her as she nodded, placing her hand on to his arm when she added. "Good luck. And, remember that I'm just a phone call away, if you need anything."

"I know. Thanks, Lexi." Stefan commented, pulling Katherine with him as she flashed them both a confused look.

"Will someone clue me into why you're the one here and not Elijah..By the way, where is he?" Katherine demanded in knowing. She paused near the door as Stefan's face hardened and he locked his gaze on to her. "I'm not telling you anything until we're outside. And, once we are outside and I tell you what I have planned. You still won't like it."

* * *

"You want me to pretend to be Elena! Have you lost goddamn your mind?" Katherine shouted at him as she reiterated his own words, running her fingers through her matted and seemingly uncurly hair.

"It's the only way to get her out of the hospital without anyone tipping Matt off. He's still in Chicago, Katherine. He's a threat to her, because he's going around to each area hospital, waiting around to find her." Stefan stated, watching Katherine roll her dark brown eyes at him.

"And, he's not one to me? I'm the one who wired him the money, I'm the one who hired this idiot to scare Elena off so that I could get closer to you. But, it clearly didn't work. Since, he turned into a psycho! Listen, I screwed up and I'm sorry. So, if that means that I have to switch places with her while you whisk her away to wherever you're taking her- I'll do it for you. And, once Matt is out of the picture for good. Then, I'm setting you free, Stefan. You can have your happy ending with Elena, you can have Dasells and have the life you always wanted. The one you never got a chance to have with me. Because, being in that cell made me realize that I need to let you go, and that I need to do it for the both of us. Although, there are a things I want from you in return." Katherine replied in a defeated tone. If there was one thing that Katherine was certain of in the moment on Stefan's face in the way he was looking at her. It was that she had lost him a long time ago and now, she felt it in her heart and knew that it was time to move on and rebuild her life without him in it.

"And, what's that?" Stefan asked her, watching as Katherine looked up at him with tears glazing over her brown eyes as her lips began to quiver just a little, exhaling and looking down at the ground under her feet when she said. "I want you to forgive me. I want us to forgive each other, over time."

"After everything you've done? You want my forgiveness?" Stefan spat out, watching her wipe away her tears, her chin trembled as she swallowed the lump in her throat, speaking softly. " Yeah, I do. And, don't act like you're some saint in all of this. Because, we're both to blame for her being shot and in that hospital. If I hadn't left you, you would have never found my sister and if Elena hadn't stuck around and fallen in love with you, she would have never gotten herself into this mess. So, I'm not agreeing to this little deal because of her, Stefan. I'm doing it for you..To prove to you that I'm not that much of a monster as you accuse me to be, that I've never really been a bad person. I have a heart, Stefan. And, I do actually care about the people I love, I just...I'm bad at showing it. Really bad at showing it"

"What else do you want from me, Katherine? Because, I know that it's always something with you..So, I guess you better speak up." Stefan said, placing his hands into his jeans as he shrugged his shoulders back, noticing that Katherine had turned her back away from him, not daring to look at him as she felt the tears spill over her eyes when she whispered. "I want you to be in Ethan's life..My son has an absentee father,, Stefan and I'd like you to be there for him… Also-" Her voice cracked as she felt his hand grab a hold of her wrist, spinning her back towards him when she finally gazed into his worried green eyes.

"What else?" He asked her, brushing a strand of her hair out of her eyes as a few strands stuck to her damped olive colored skin.

"I want you to be happy. So that we can both move on and so that you can learn to be happy with her...My sister loves you, Stefan. She loves you more than I ever will. And, I can see that you love her too. So, I want you to be happy with her. Because, a little happiness is what we all deserve and strive for, isn't it?" Katherine commented, watching as he nodded and released his grip from her wrist, stepping away from her and inhaling deeply.

"I haven't always hated you, Katherine. We just….I don't know what happened. But, I want you to be happy too. And, I want you to know that I haven't always hated you." He said to her as Katherine turned back towards him, leaning against the passenger side door of his dark red Lexus.

"We changed. And, then we stopped working at this marriage and it fell apart. We fell in love with other people, Stefan. But, I've never stopped caring about you." Katherine replied to him, shrugging her shoulders back and hearing the car doors unlock.

Stefan watched her climb into the car, glancing over at him as he exhaled heavily, making his way towards the driver's side. Katherine stayed silent as Stefan got into the car, looking out the window as she spoke. "I'm sorry for everything. I wish that I could have been a better wife to you, like I was in the beginning. But, I know that too much has happened and that I'm just not capable of being in this loveless marriage anymore. So, after all of this is over. Once Matt is gone for good. We need to sign the divorce papers instead of drag this torment out of hurting each other any longer."

Stefan started the car, shifting his head to look over at Katherine, extending out his hand. He watched as she glanced over at him in confusion. "I'm sorry for everything too. I'm sorry for not being a good husband and that I didn't fight harder for us. I loved you, Katherine. I really did. But, you're right. It's time that we both move on from each other and get divorced. It's time to let go"

The car ride was silent for a while as Stefan released his grip from Katherine's hand, clearing his throat as he pointed towards the back and briskly changed the subject. "Are you ready for this?"

Katherine nodded, looking back behind them to see the bag of clothes that he had packed for her to change into once they got to the hospital. "Yeah, I am. Because, once this is over, we'll both be with the people we really love. So, it's for a good cause. Besides, I owe, Elena. I almost ruined her life and in a twisted and messed up way, I guess this is helping me to redeem myself a bit."

* * *

"Dr. Gilbert. It's nice to see you again. Elena, nice to see you walking around." Rebekah remarked as she walked up to them, watching Elena leaning a little into Jeremy as he helped her walk around the hospital halls.

"Rebekah? What are you doing here?" Elena asked in a rough and raw voice. She was getting tired and sleepy just by the few feet that they had walked and was leaning against Jeremy in hopes of him realizing that she needed a break.

"We were hoping that we could talk, to your brother." Damon explained, walking up behind the three of them. As he tilted his head to the side and motioned for Jeremy to follow him.

"Damon, I thought you and Stefan weren't supposed to be back yet..Will someone please tell me what's going on!" Elena said, trying to get someone to answer her. But, everyone except for Jeremy had this determination in their eyes that she had never seen before.

"More walking, less talking. Let's just focus on the here and now. And, the here is definitely not where you want to be right now, Elena. So, a few of us devised a little plan to remove you from here." Damon told her, smiling at her as he helped her sit down into an empty wheel chair that they had slowly walked by.

"We're going to just go into this little room and everything will be explained." Damon told her, turning his back towards a door that lead into an empty hospital room with it's shades drawn, stepping inside of it as Elena tried to look around the darkened room for a clue as to what was going on at all. But, all she saw was shadows.

"I'm going to pretend to be you. Which shouldn't be that hard." Katherine's voice echoed in the room. Elena watched her step out from behind a curtain that blocked Elena's view of the rest of the room, Katherine's arms were crossed over her chest, a dark hoodie placed over her head, her long brown hair tied back into a ponytail and she wore no makeup as she watched Elena flinch at the sound of her voice.

"You tried to kill me...Damon, get me out of here..Please, Damon...She's going to-." Elena began to say, panicking as she tried to get up and then, she heard him add in a rushed tone. "You need to calm down. Everything's going to be just fine. I promise. She's not going to hurt you. Katherine's here to help." Damon said, gesturing towards Jeremy who took a step near Elena, leaning down towards her as he clarified. "I'm going to take care of you, Katherine's just here to help get you out of here...Elena, Matt's not in North Carolina..He's in Chicago and it's only a matter of time before he finds you here. He's looking for you, he's been looking for you and from what we've been told. He's on his way here."

"What?" Elena questioned, her hands instantly beginning to shake from fear as she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, hearing Damon tell Jeremy something and that's when she felt the prick against her neck.

"This is going to help you relax, Elena. Just close your eyes and take a deep breath." Damon repeated softly, nodding towards Jeremy and then towards Katherine as they both heard Jeremy say. "We need to do this quickly. We need to hurry up and get this done. Before anyone spots us doing this switch"

"What did you give her?" Katherine asked, in an apprehensive tone.

"It's a sedative to help her stay calm until we get her to where Stefan's at. It lasts for a few hours. But, we still need to hurry up. Since, we don't know when and Matt's going to be coming for you or for her." Damon chimed in. He watched Katherine open her mouth, wanting to question their plan some more. But, instead she quickly gave up and huffed out a breath. "Fine. I'll wear her hospital gown. At least it's a bit cleaner than that orange jumpsuit I had to wear." Katherine grumbled, seeing Damon and Jeremy turn their backs away from the two women as Katherine swapped clothes with her sister.

"But, this place is filled with camera's and guard's. How are you two planning on sneaking Elena out of here without getting noticed?" Katherine questioned as she turned her head to the side and looked over at Damon and Jeremy who were both smiling.

"I'm leaving that up to Dr. Gilbert and my beautiful fiance, Rebekah. Because, I'll be too busy making sure that you go through with this." Damon told her, watching as he texted Meredith and then a knock was heard at the door as she softly whispered. "I'm ready to go. Rebekah's waiting in the lobby."

"Good luck with getting her out of here..With that sedative the doctor gave Elena, you two can just tell everyone that she's suffering from a hangover." Damon joked him, patting Jeremy's back as Meredith stepped into the room, watching Katherine hand her clothes to her and allowing herself to lean against Damon as he whispered. "Act the part, Katherine. You had a major surgery. So, make sure you're holding your stomach as I wheel you out of here and back to your room." Damon added, watching Katherine glare up at him when he pushed open the door and suddenly, she groaned in pain as the nurses all passed by and Damon smiled at them. "She walked a little too much today. Back to her room we go."

Once they were gone, Jeremy glanced over at Meredith, opening his mouth to speak. But, she quickly interrupted him. You're going to lift her in your arms and carry her out of here. Rebekah and I will provide a distraction in the lobby if need be." Meredith told him with a smile as they stepped out of the room and Jeremey held Elena tightly into his arms, covering her face and body with a blanket.

"Where's everyone else?" Meredith asked him, seeing Jeremy place Elena's arms around his neck when he replied. "Stefan's already halfway to the place he needs us to get her to. There is no one else. Just us to get her out of here. So, I really hope your little distraction with Rebekah works."

Meredith grinned, opening the door and stepping ahead of Jeremy as she looked back at him quickly. "It'll work. I took an acting class in college...Trust me, I've already got Rebekah on board, it'll work." She stated with a wink, quickening her pace and beating Jeremy to the lobby.

Rebekah was groaning, shifting her eyes up at Meredith as she leaned back into her chair and shouted. "I need a doctor...Oh my god! It's like the baby is playing a game of football in my stomach..Ohhh, it hurts!" Meredith heard Rebekah grumble as a small smile crept across her face when a nurse came towards them with a wheelchair, a worried expression on her face as she asked. "Ma'am, where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere!" Rebekah snarled, glaring over at Meredith who had her eyes glued to the sliding doors that lead out to the parking lot as another group of nurses and a doctor came towards Rebekah, lifting her up slowly off the chair that she had been sitting in at the lobby and placing her into a wheelchair.

Meredith nodded at her as she caught a glimpse of Jeremey walking out the double doors with Elena in her arms and just when she thought that the nurses were going to take Rebekah back into an observation room, the blonde exhaled heavily and leaned her head back into the wheelchair with an mortified look on her face.

The nurse who had rushed over looked just as confused as Meredith did and so did the doctor as they stepped away from the shouting pregnant woman and gave her some room as she looked over at them, placed both of her hands on to her stomach and burped loudly. Rebekah could hear Meredith giggle as she turned away from her and continued to look out the entrance doors to the emergency room, sighing out a relieved breath when she realized that Jeremy and Elena were nowhere to be seen anymore.

"Ma'am are you alright?" The nurse asked in a worried tone as Rebekah's blue eyes locked on to her and she smiled just slightly, trying not to make that much of a big deal out of it. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why are you looking at me like that? Haven't you ever seen a pregnant woman with gas and heartburn before?"

"Um…" The doctor shrugged his shoulders back, turning away from them as the nurse still looked worried.

"Look, sorry about all the fuss that I just caused for no reason. I'm just going to need to tell my fiance to stop making chili for dinner and landing me in the hospital. Apparently it gives me heartburn and gas, huh. Who would have thought." Rebekah stated, reaching over towards Meredith as she helped her up from the wheelchair.

"Ma'am… Are you sure you're okay?" The nurse asked once more as Rebekah smiled, straightening herself up when she nodded and added. "Perfectly fine. Have a nice day."

The two women walked out towards the parking lot, smiling and trying to prevent themselves from laughing as Meredith looked over at Rebekah whose expression had quickly changed from silly to serious once again. "We need to the hell out of here before they follow us and admit me for being crazy. So, let's find Jeremy and let's finish this."

* * *

"Can I help you?" A nurse in blue scrubs asked as she brushed past him. He looked crazed, his hands shook and his blue eyes looked tormented as he mumbled something under his breath.

"Sir! Can I help you?" The nurse asked again, watching him pivot on the soles of his dirty boots, wiping his hands off his white shirt and dark blue jeans.

The sudden smirk on his face made her heart sink as he smiled up at her and asked. "Yeah, you can, actually. Can you tell me where a patient by the name of Elena Gilbert. Is staying at this hospital?"

"Sir, Miss Gilbert isn't accepting visitors at this time. I'm sorry. But, I'm going to need to ask you to leave." The nurse urged, watching Matt turn towards her with a smile on his face, lying through his teeth when he said. "I'm her fiance. It's family only right now, isn't it?"

"Yes. But, she-.." The nurse began to say as Matt lifted his hand and took a step closer towards her, reading her name badge. "Nurse Johnson. I've been away on business for days and I haven't been able to see my fiance, Elena at all since her misfortune. I've missed her dearly and ever since I heard the news about her accident. I've been anxiously awaiting to get home to her. So, will you please tell me what room number she's in?"

The nurse paused, pursing her lips together when she looked back behind her and placed her hand onto Matt's arm. "I guess one more visitor to Miss Gilbert's room won't. Besides, we checked up on her a few hours ago and she was sleeping. So, at least you won't be interrupted by anyone coming into her room with another few hours to change her bandages and give her medicine."

Matt nodded, bowing his head down and trying to prevent himself from grinning when he asked once more. "So, will you tell me where she's at?" He watched the nurse remove her hand from his arm, smiling as she nodded. "Yes, of course I will. You really must be anxious to see her since you haven't in so long."

She watched Matt's blue eyes beam with a mischievous glance as he half laughed when he added. "Oh, nurse Johnson. You have no idea how excited and anxious I am to see her. I can hardly wait for the moment she see's me."

* * *

Katherine heard the door unlock and got into the bed, her feet dangled under the covers as she closed her eyes and exhaled heavily when she heard a set of heavy boots approaching her bedside in the hospital room that Elena had occupied. She swallowed the lump in her throat and opened her eyes briskly, only to be met with Matt's displeased look when he lifted the covers off her face and noticed a strand of curly hair laying across the pillow.

"Hi, Matt. I guess this really wasn't what you were expecting..Was it?" She asked him, watching his face fill with anger as he took another step towards her, his hands stiffening into fists. But, just as he was about to attack Katherine. Matt's body was pushed back against one of the walls in her room by a set of firmly gripping hands, with his blue eyes blazing and his arm pressed up against his windpipe, Damon cocked his head to the side.

" Ah, not so fast, Matty! We've been looking for you, so glad you decided to finally join us." Damon smirked, his face hardening as he pressed his arm deeper into Matt's neck and whispered into his ear. "I've heard that you've been a very bad boy lately and I don't like bad boys..Actually, because they cramp my style and because I'm the only one allowed to cause trouble around here, in a responsible manner, that is. Unlike you!"

"Where is she!" Matt spat out angrily, causing Damon to shove him against the wall even harder, eyes deadlocked on his face, his hot breath washing over Matt as Damon taunted him with a smile and equally pissed off expression.

"You don't want Katherine? She even dressed up like Elena for you..Hmm, what a shame. Oh wait, that's right. Katherine screwed you over! So, you want Elena more. However, sadly for you, I know that and so does she. So, it's a good thing that you'll never get to her. Trust me, Matt. Even if you tried, you'd never find her...She's in good hands, far away from you. And, if my friends and I have anything to do with it, that is where she'll stay...Away from you, forever."

"Katherine, call Lexi, I know that she's lurking the halls of this hospital, somewhere. Tell her that I've got a present for her and that she's going to love it!" Damon snarled, watching as Katherine hurriedly grabbed Damon's phone from his back pocket, with trembling hands she dialed the number and at the first ring, Katherine said only a few words that made Matt's pissed off expression grow even more, before she hung up the phone. "He's here. So, come and get him before I change my mind and I put a bullet in his most valuable body part all by myself. Because, there is nothing stopping me from doing it."

Damon stepped back from Matt, turning his back towards him just for a moment to reply to Katherine's words. But, Matt's laugh and his actions made everything happen too fast when he announced. " Nothing stopping you huh? I'd disagree. You don't think I had a plan before coming in here? Well, I do!"

Damon was just about to turn back towards Matt as he noticed that Matt was holding a sharp object in his hands and was aiming it towards his own neck. Katherine watched the small pocket knife pierce Damon's skin as he wrapped his arm around Damon's neck and leaned into his ear. "If you or her make a sound or any sudden movements besides handing over your cell phone to me. I'm going to kill you both, without hesitation. Remember, I already shot and nearly killed Elena. And, hurting the two of you..Wouldn't be that much different. So, I recommend that you both let me leave this hospital and tell your little police officer friend that I'll be one step ahead of her."

Katherine stood frozen in place, fear filled her body as she stood paralyzed when she watched a small drip of blood ooze out of the cut that Matt had made against Damon's neck. Matt's hands were now holding Damon's cell phone as she watched Matt grin at her, pushing Damon against her body and just when he went flying towards her and they both hit the ground, Matt looked back at them and added. "I'm guessing that Elena isn't alone, just like you weren't, Katherine. Which will be a bit of a problem for me. However, I'm sure that with Damon's cell phone, I'll find her and that whoever has her will be just as prepared for me as I'll be for him."

* * *

Her body ached as her eyes adjusted to the bright light above her head. Which caused her head to hurt even more and when she finally opened her eyes wider. Elena realized that she was laying in a freshly made bed, the cool breeze from an open window hit her overly heated flesh which caused goosebumps to appear as she noticed him step into the room.

"They said allowing you to woke up on your own from the medicine Jeremy gave you would be a good idea. And, I guess they were right. Welcome back." Stefan commented with a smile, sitting down slowly on the bed as Elena lifted herself from the pillow under her head and looked around the room in bewilderment. "Where am I?" She asked him, watching as Stefan grabbed her hand, smiling sweetly at her when he replied. "You're somewhere safe where no one can hurt you. 3 hours outside of Chicago. I was going to take you to Lake Forest because I have a house out there. But, it wasn't far enough. So, I brought you here instead. It's a cabin, that was left to Damon and I by our Uncle. It's under his name, so we'll be safe here."

"Stefan, We're not in chicago anymore are we? What about the doctors, they'll know that Katherine isn't me. She doesn't have scars, she.." Elena began to say as Stefan leaned forward, placing his finger on to her lips, making Elena silent.

" No, Elena. We're in a place called Two Rivers. It's in Wisconsin. And, I have Damon taking care of that. All I want to focus on while we're here is you. All I care about right now, is you." Stefan confessed, taking the back of his hand and gently stroking her cheek. He smiled to himself as she closed her eyes to his touch.

" Wisconsin? Why in the hell did you take me out of Illinois for? Matt's going to find me, Stefan...Matt doesn't stop, he never has! He won't stop until I'm dead." Elena replied in a shaky tone, hearing Stefan huff out a sigh as he leaned towards her and pulled her into his embrace protectively, kissing the top of her head and patting down her hair with his hand as he softly replied. "I'm not going to allow him to hurt you again, don't you understand that? So, I had to take some drastic measures, that's why I took you out of the state. I promise, Elena. You're going to be safe here. All I need you to do is trust me. Do you even trust me at all?"

Stefan's question lingered in the air for a while. Elena didn't say anything, she just stared into his green eyes, slowly lifting up her eyes to meet his and exhaling heavily. "Do you trust me?" Stefan repeated, still gripping on to her hand as she blinked up at him and through watery eyes she softly remarked. "Of course I do."

Stefan nodded, kissing her forehead before he pulled her closer against his chest and held her against his body as he whispered softly. "Good, because I'd do anything for you."

He felt her head lift from his chest as she rubbed her eyes and placed her hand on to his chest, shaking her head. "I think you've proven that already." Elena said in a teasing tone, looking around the room that was a rustic looking cabin and yet somewhat modern, 4 large floor to ceiling windows, a door that lead back out towards the lakeside backyard, with the queen sized bed in the middle of it. The uncovered windows allowing the setting sun to shine in as Elena exhaled deeply, looking down at the blue and white striped bed cover that she was under, tightening her grip on Stefan's hand.

"I'd do anything for you too." She said in a soft and sleep filled tone as he smiled at her, watching her hand lift up when she placed her fingers against his stubble covered cheek. "I love you." Elena said, smiling just a little as she leaned into him, capturing his soft lips against her own. She couldn't remember the last time that she kissed him, tasting the peppermint on his tongue was exhilarating as Stefan gently leaned her back and deepened the kiss, feeling Elena's arms wrap around his neck, pulling him down towards her delicately.

Stefan broke away from her first, remembering that he had to be gentle with her, he stared down at her and touched her cheek softly as he smiled. "I think you're going to like it here. But, we need to take our time."

Elena giggled, leaning up to kiss him once more as she grinned and nodded, answering him with a soft brown gaze that made all his doubts about them being in such a secluded area, disappear. "I think I will too." Elena told him, locking her eyes on to him as she watched Stefan lay beside her, pulling her closer towards his chest, placing his head against the same pillow that she had been sleeping on.

"We're going to be okay, I promise." Stefan reassured her, wrapping Elena into his arms as he covered her chilled body and cradled her against him. He watched her lean her head against his arm, her brown matted hair covered the pillow as she lay beside him and said in a low and confident tone. "I know that we will. As long as you're here with me. I know that I'll be okay."

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you all think? Loved it? Hated it? Please let me know. Because, I love hearing what you all have to say. :)**

**Follow on Twitter for updates or just to chat at: BePassionate_24**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	32. Chapter Thirty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

** Within Temptation-Chapter Thirty-One **

_"Idiot. Stupid Moron!"_ Damon's mind shouted at him as he got up from the floor, touching the blood from his neck and wiping it off of his jeans. He felt light headed, sick almost as he helped Katherine to her feet. "Are you okay?" Damon began to ask as he heard Katherine huff out a breath, mumbling how sorry she was and that if she hadn't been frozen from fear that none of this would have happened. But, the moment that Katherine continued to explain to Damon how scared she was, they both heard a heavy pair of footsteps come towards them and saw the angered face of the woman that they promised they were going to help.

"I was three minutes away! I was three damn minutes away from coming in here and arresting him and you two let him go! I even had back up and everything. God damn it! It was my fault in thinking I could use the two of you! What the hell happened?" Lexi shouted at them, anger seeping from her tone as she glanced over at Damon who had blood on his hand and some of it running down his neck and then her brown eyes shifted towards Katherine whose arms were crossed over each other, her eyes glued to the floor like a small child that knew that it was in trouble.

"I'm sorry..it just happened so fast. He grabbed Damon and cut him and once I saw the blood, once I tried to get away and he told us that if we moved that he was going to kill us..I panicked. Lexi, Please..believe me, I'm sorry. You should have never involved me." Katherine said, not making eye contact with the furious police officer and her detective partner that was standing beside her, shaking his head in disapproval.

"We almost had him!" Lexi's partner, Leo said as he glanced over at her and she sighed out a breath. "I know. But, it's not too late. I want an all points bulletin posted about Matt Donovan. I want every major highway on the lookout for his car, I want his face plastered on every media airway and his description out there, I want you all to interview any witnesses that saw him leaving. And, most of all...I want to get Matt before he gets to her. Before, he gets to them." Lexi vowed, swallowing hard as she turned her head back towards Damon and Katherine who stood in the room in total silence.

"You two are coming with me..I want to know what Matt took when he was in here. And,Katherine...You were right, I wasn't done with you. Actually, the judge called me. He's decided that because of your involvement that you'll be under house arrest, by the guidance of your probation officer. So, until your probation hearing...I'm going to make sure you get a gps tracking device. So, that I know where you are at all times." Lexi added, smiling just a little when she saw the annoyed looking frown spread across Katherine's lips.

"House arrest? A tracking device? What am I...A stray animal? I thought that once my bail was paid, that I was free to be a normal part of society again." Katherine commented, listening as Lexi laughed loudly, turning on her heels to glance over at her with a smirk. "Not exactly princess. You hired and plotted for a man to hurt your sister...Of course, you're going to face some consequences for your actions. And, one of them is making sure that you stay in the same place while I deal with that maniac that's not roaming freely around town!"

* * *

"What am I doing back here?" Katherine questioned, watching Lexi glance up at her through the rearview mirror, an irritated look in her brown eyes that made Lexi smile even wider as she pushed open the car door to her squad car and walked over to the back seats, opening the door so that Katherine could get a better glance up at the house that they were parked in front of.

"I'm not staying here, Lexi. The people in that house hate me and well, I don't blame them one bit." Katherine spat out, extending out her wrists as Lexi undid the handcuffs from them and bent down to check the ankle monitor around her leg.

"Remember how I talked about consequences, Katherine? This is one of them. You can't outrun your past. So, how about you suck it up and just be happy that you're still alive and breathing. I mean, for god sakes. You could have gotten off much worse than this." Lexi told her, hearing Katherine exhale and nod, whispering just barely. "I know."

"So, let's go into the house and get you settled in, shall we?" Lexi asked her with a pleased tone, hooking her hand against Katherine's arm and dragging her towards the front door of the Salvatore's 10 bedroom, two story house.

"Lexi, I can't live in that house with those people...They don't like me..They-." She began to say as she watched Lexi ring the doorbell and just as Katherine wanted to add more, they both smiled when they saw who was standing in front of them.

"Elijah?" Lexi questioned, watching him nod his head as he smiled and exhaled deeply when he saw Katherine.

"Thank god that you're okay. I was worried about you." He told her, ignoring Lexi who was still gripping on to Katherine that had seemed reluctant on being there, all the way up until the front door was opened and she had seen Elijah.

"Thank god that you're okay." Katherine said softly, feeling the release of Lexi's grip as she nodded over at Damon who stood behind them, a small smile appearing across his lips.

"I'm putting a police watch on the house and on the cabin where Elena and Stefan are at. I'll call you with more details. And, Katherine...Don't forget the rules while you're here." Lexi told her, watching as the brunette smiled, repeating her words from the earlier.

"No breaking my curfew, make sure to keep the monitor dry and charged. I'm only be allowed to go to about 6 places. A few of them being..Here, work, a visit to you and my probation officer and the hospital. Also, I have an 11pm curfew. If I'm one minute off and late. Then, you'll be on my doorstep with an arrest warrant. And, I have to report my schedule to you if anything changes. Am I forgetting anything else?" Katherine asked in a sassy tone, causing Lexi to glance down at the floor before she looked up at her and opened her mouth to add more.

"It's going to last about 2-6 months." Lexi reminded her, hearing Katherine sigh as she nodded. "I know."

"Well, as long as we're clear on it. Then, we shouldn't have a problem. Shall we?" She commented, noticing a small smile creep across Katherine's lips as she nodded, leaning against Elijah and looking back at Damon when she said. "No, we shouldn't."

"Ok, then. I'll keep you both posted on any news I get about Matt. Damon, keep an eye out on these two." Lexi reminded him, before turning back around towards her partner and pointing to the three of them. "Leo, I'm leaving you in charge of these two. Help them get settled in nicely. Because, if you don't...I'll be back." She told him, throwing a wink in Damon's direction before going back to her squad car and planning a strategy with her team on how they were going to deal with Matt.

* * *

"All units be out on the look out. We're looking for a blond and blue eyed, white young man on the run by the name of Matt Donovan. Believed to be in his mid 20s. He's driving a white Toyota 4 runner. Illinois license plate number TYX-789. He was last seen in the Chicago area, where he assaulted a man and woman at the Rosewood Medical Center and now he is on the run." Lexi stated, watching her assembled team stare up at her with focused eyes as she stood in front of them, placing her hands over her bullet proof vest.

"I need everyone on this case, all of you need to be involved because we need to get to him before he gets to his main target. Which is his estranged ex-girlfriend. Elena Gilbert. Age 25 years old, brown hair, brown eyes and who he had shot already once. They were involved in a romantic relationship while she was living with him in North Carolina. however, for the last four years, Elena has been running from Matt in hopes of putting distance between them." Lexi explained to her team, watching as a few of them lifted up their hands, eagerly waiting to get their questions answered.

"Is he armed?" One of them asked as Lexi tapped her fingers against the desk in the room, heavily exhaling as she looked up at her team and shook her head. "I don't know. But, we have to treat this as if he was. Now, Elena Gilbert is being held in a private location for her own safety. However, it's believed that Matt Donovan has found out where she is, after he escaped from the hospital..He stole a phone from one the individuals that he assaulted. I've already called up a fellow officer from the county and he's on his way to the location to check things out. Until we get there, that is." Lexi elaborated, turning back towards the white board behind her to write down a few more details as she sighed deeply for a moment, closing her eyes and turning back towards her team.

"We're going to find him. And most importantly. We're not going to allow this man to hurt anyone else." She added, watching a few of the officers in the room nod as she smiled and began writing out more details about the case.

* * *

The early morning hours came as Stefan rolled over on the bed. He lifted his already numb arm up from under Elena's head, hearing his cell phone ring on the table beside him, he grabbed it as he looked over at Elena who was fast asleep, curled up into two different blankets that he had covered them under, her back towards him.

He watched her flinch as he turned back towards her, leaning over and stroking her cheek before his lips touched her rosy red cheeks and he whispered against her ear. "I love you and I promise, I'm going to do anything that I can to keep you safe."

Stefan cover Elena's body up once more as he swung his legs over the bed, finally reading the text message that was on his phone.

"I'm here, came by to check on things and see how you and Elena were doing. I'll be down stairs, let me in." The text message read as Stefan looked down at it, the message on his phone reading that it was from Damon.

"Damon's here, he came to check up on us." Stefan murmured to Elena as she exhaled, rolling over towards him and opening her eyes as the bright sun shined into her face.

"That's good. Maybe he can get my brother out of the house now for a bit. Jeremy's been too focused on me that he hasn't had time to even go back to the hospital and leave us completely alone." Elena told him, grabbing a hold of Stefan's hand and glancing over at him with a small smile.

"I know. But, it's because he loves you, Elena. Your brother cares about you and-." Stefan began to say, stopping mid sentence when he heard a crash and commotion in the kitchen from something hitting loudly against the hardwood flooring that was throughout the whole cabin.

"What was that?" Elena asked in a weakened voice, watching Stefan push up from the bed as he looked around the room, taking a key out from his pocket and unlocking what looked like a small end table that had a locked drawer.

"What are you doing?" Elena whispered, her brown wide eyes growing as Stefan turned back towards her, his green gaze level with hers when he stated in a tone that gave her chills.

"I don't know. But, I'm going to make sure that everything is okay and that we haven't had a breach in the security system. That officer that Lexi said was going to be here, never showed up last night...Something doesn't feel right, Elena. Listen, lock the doors and lay low. Whatever happens, don't you dare step out of this room. Do you understand me?" Stefan asked her, taking what look like a shiny black object from the drawer in front of him.

"Is that a gun?" Elena asked, nearly spitting out her words, her body involuntarily shaking as Stefan placed it on the counter top behind him and nodded, exhaling heavily.

"It's for our protection. It's my uncles and he only has it here for safety. Now, stay here. I'll be right back." Stefan ordered, turning back towards Elena who was now standing near the door that she was just about to lock.

"Stefan…" She began to say, watching Stefan place his finger against his lips, silencing her.

"It'll be okay. I promise. Just whatever you do, don't come downstairs." He added in a whispered tone, before opening the bedroom door and reminding her to lock it behind him. Elena leaned against the closed door, breathing heavily as she softly whispered in a chanting like tone. "It'll be okay, everything will be okay."

* * *

"Where is she…come on, Jeremy Gilbert. You of all people should know where your sister is, all I want to do is say Hi. Please, let me see her...Let me in!" Matt shouted, slamming his fists against the door as Jeremy backed away and Stefan stepped into the kitchen, his hands shaking as he pointed the gun he had in his hands towards Matt's body.

"You really think that you're scared shitless face and shaking hands are going to prevent me from knocking this door down and ripping Elena out of this overly protected house of yours, Mr. Salvatore? Because, to be honest. I doubt it will. Hell, maybe she'll even go willingly." Matt told him, spitting out his words with fury and anger, continuing to slam his hands against the door as he yelled at Stefan.

"Once I get in there, Stefan. I'm going to kill you and take her..I was stopped once. But, no one will stop me this time!" Matt vowed, watching Stefan nod towards Jeremy who was looking out towards the stairwell, telling someone to go back upstairs. However, it was too late to convince her otherwise, Elena had already stepped into the kitchen and was heading towards the back door, her body being shoved back suddenly by Stefan's upper body strength as he glared at her and she took a step towards the door again, shouting at Matt with tears in her eyes. "You son of a bitch. Don't think that I don't know that it was you, Matt. You didn't think I would found out! You ruined my life and left me to die in that warehouse. If it's anyone that deserves to live in hell, It's you!" Elena screamed at Matt, being held back by Stefan's arms as she looped her own arms around his backside and pulled out the gun from his back pocket that he had placed there, aiming it directly towards Matt.

They all watched as Elena unlocked the door, opening it so that Matt was standing outside, just a few inches away with his eyes glued to Elena's vicious looking demeanor when he stepped inside of the cabin to face her, to act out his plan.

"Elena, sweetheart. You wouldn't shoot me, You love me...Remember? And, you're too scared to do it..Elena, you're still that same weak girl in North Carolina that was in love with me. You're nothing and you never will be. Do you understand me!" Matt raised his voice, watching Elena's hands firmly grip against the gun, her finger cocking the trigger as she heard it click and she stood inches away, watching his every move.

"You think I'm scared of you? I'm not, Matt. I spent years being scared of you. And, I've been running from you for even longer. However, today's the day where I don't have to run anymore. Today's the day where I get to not be scared anymore and I can free myself of you, with just one little pull of this trigger." Elena told him, feeling Stefan's arms pull her back, his hands firmly holding hers as she clutched the gun, adding more to her yelling and sudden rush of adrenaline she felt over staring Matt down. Stefan's pleas for her to release her grip on the weapon, seeming to go unnoticed as she continued to rant.

"All I wanted was to leave you and never look back! To leave you behind and start a new life, one where I didn't have to run, one where I could be loved for who I am and yet, you followed me, you nearly ruined it for me. Well, Matt. How does it feel now? To be on the opposite end of the trigger, how does it feel you coward!" Elena screamed at him, feeling Stefan's steady and quick hands grab a hold of hers as he lowered the gun to the ground, telling her to release it into his hands.

"He's not worth, Elena. He never was..Don't throw your life away for him. Please, Jeremy..Take her outside and call the police..Call them, now!" Stefan ordered. But. as the sirens were already being heard. Elena turned back towards her attacker and smirked a menacing smile at him.

"You hear that Matt? I already called the cops..And, that's your end coming." Elena hissed out, taking one more glance over her shoulder as Jeremy guided his sister outside and took her out into the driveway to where the sirens of the police department were getting louder and they slowly approached up the gravel driveway.

"She'll never have everything she wants with you...You took her away from me, made her hate me!" Elena heard Matt scream suddenly from outside, a loud booming set of gunshots going off made them both turn back towards the house and rush into it, a shiver went down Elena's spine as her breathing quickened when she look down at the pool of blood beneath her feet.

"The ambulance is on the way! Ma'am, you have to step back! You have to let us do our jobs!" The officer who had stepped into the house the same time Elena did had warned her, tugging Elena out of the kitchen as she stood frozen in place, only catching a glimpse of Stefan's bloodied white button up t-shirt and a dead body on the floor with a gun beside his hands.

"Elena...Elena! You need to step back...Come on." Jeremy tried to lure her away. But, she was shaking and sobbing, her wailing cries filling the room as she watched them unbutton Stefan's bloodied shirt and she heard the words from one of the officers and an EMT that was now on the scene state. "26 year old, white male with gunshot to the right shoulder. Blood pressure is stabilized for now. However, injury to upper body looks critical. Ambulance is en route to Wisconsin Medical. Please be advised and ready. The assailant is also wounded, gunshot to the chest, he was descended upon arrival."

* * *

Elena had paced the floor for what felt like hours, calling Damon and Lexi, anyone she could think of as her white sandals left what look like track marking against the carpeting of the Wisconsin hospital, where Stefan was being held. She could barely even look at him, her brother as he leaned back into his chair and exhaled heavily.

"What in the hell were you thinking? Elena, Matt almost killed you! He shot you once already and he almost killed you again today! You were so close to being his target, you were so close to-..." Jeremy's voice broke as he ran his hands over his face in frustration and looked up at his younger sister, noticing that she was biting her nails from how nervous she was getting.

"I wasn't thinking, Alright? I just wanted to feel better, I wanted to feel safe...Jer..I just wanted to feel in control of everything he took from me. And, as I watched his face turn pale and his eyes beg for his life...For once, I felt like I had taken something back from him...Something that he took from me." Elena replied, swallowing the lump in her throat as she finally sat down beside her brother, grabbing a hold of his hands as she exhaled deeply, turning to face him with watery brown eyes.

"I know, Jeremy..I know what you and Stefan were trying to protect me from. But, I found out when I was searching for something to protect myself with in Stefan's room...You both thought that you could hide it from me. But, I know...I read it in a file folder in the safe that's in Stefan's room. I know- I know that I'm never going to have my own children. And, I know that Matt's responsible for it." Elena sobbed, leaning against her brother's shoulder as she felt his arms wrap around her, clutching on to him as he stroked the top of her head, his hands making small circles against her back.

Jeremy sat with her silently, trying to sooth her cries as he glanced up and noticed the surgeon step inside the room. "Miss Gilbert?" He announced, getting both Elena and her brother's attention as he took another step inside the waiting area and watched Elena wipe her tears away, sniffling when she looked up at him and with a hoarse tone she asked. "How is he?"

She could feel her brother's hands wrap around her own as the young doctor cleared his throat and smiled just a little, a relieved expression on his face as he stated. "Mr. Salvatore will be staying overnight for observation. the surgery to repair some of the minimal damaged caused went well. The bullet didn't cause any damage to his vital organs and it just made a small wound. Stefan sustained a flesh wound that should heal in a few weeks if well cleaned and taken care of. Now, I'll be prescribing him some anti inflammatory drugs and some pain killers. However, he'll need to be closely monitored while taking them. Due to his past history of drug abuse and alcoholism..He'll be on a low dose of medication and he'll need to be monitored by his local physician." He told them, watching as Elena nodded, exhaling heavily as she replied softly.

"It's not a problem. I'll be able to take care of him too." She said, getting up from her seat with a small smile as she added. "Now, when can I see him?"

"Elena, are you sure that you want to see him right now?" Jeremy asked her, watching as the doctor left the room and she pivoted on her heels, facing her brother.

"I need to see him. I need to tell him that I know. That no matter what happens, that I'm still going to be there for him. I love him, Jeremy. I love him because he saved my life. And, what I did today, was just a payback...I was trying to save his and look where it got us...He's here because of me. I need to make things right and tell him how sorry I am." She replied, shrugging her shoulders back and making her back towards Stefan's room, overhearing Jeremy's cell phone ring as she heard him say Damon's name when he answered the phone call.

* * *

He could feel her warm hands against his skin, her peppermint breath and floral perfume washing over him as a smile tugged across his lips and he opened his eyes just slightly to reveal Elena hovering over him.

"You and I have a thing about hospitals. And, I suppose, it's our thing." Elena joked, getting a weak laugh out of Stefan as she took a seat on his bed, holding his hand and deadlocking her eyes on him. She wasn't really sure what to say...Sorry had seemed to lose it's purpose between them long ago, that apologizing over and over again was fairly pointless. But, she couldn't help by say the words anyways.

"I'm sorry you're in here because of my stupid actions. But, I'm glad you're okay." Elena told him, her thumb stroking the top of his hand as he closed his eyes to her touch, leaned forward just a little to cup her face against into the palm of his hand.

"I'm sorry...Elena." Stefan said in a weakened tone, watching Elena's head snap up from the look she hand on their intertwined hands.

"Stefan, you don't need to-" Elena started to say. But, he cut her off, his lips just inches away from hers as he leaned forward, kissing them softly and stroking her cheek with his thumb as he repeated again. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to say."

Elena tilted her head to the side, a bit confused and then she heard him add. "I should have told you the truth sooner, about what the doctors had said in regards to your condition. But, you were in a coma for so long that I wasn't sure what to tell you when you had just woken up..How was I supposed to tell you that you couldn't have children..That, Matt took that away from you too. He almost killed you that night and I didn't want you to hurt because of him anymore. So, I thought that not telling you right away was for the best.. But, I was wrong." His raspy filled voice trailed off as his rough hand slipped off her cheek and he noticed the tears in her eyes and heard her sniffle. "Stefan, you should have told me. Although, I had a feeling you know, when I was in the hospital and they told me where the bullet had hit me...I had a feeling that this would be the outcome. Listen, I don't know how the hell you got a copy of my medical records and I'm pretty damn sure that you broke some federal law with the patient- doctor confidentiality thing. But, at least now I know and I can come to terms with it." Elena told him, more tears welling up into her eyes as Stefan leaned back and pulled her against his chest, stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry." He repeated softly, stroking her hair with his fingers as she exhaled heavily against it chest.

"It's not your fault...It was Matt's and now, he's dead." Elena said, swallowing the bitter taste in her mouth as she said the last of her sentence.

They sat in silence for a while, holding each other as Elena wiped away her tears, looking up at him when she added in a somber tone. "I'm sorry too. If it wasn't for me being so reckless today. We wouldn't be here right now."

Stefan adjusted her against him, taking a sharp intake of breath as he held her close, kissing her forehead when he replied. "Yeah, we wouldn't. But, on the bright side..At least we're both alive and we can move on with our future...Together."

"A future...Together?" Elena asked the question in a surprised tone, lifting her head just a bit to glance over at him.

"Yeah, I've been thinking and I don't want to wake up without you by my side anymore. So, I thought maybe since we can't go back to the cabin. How about we move in together...Into that house in Lake Forest? It's beautiful...And, I know that you'd love it. It's got a private lake, a running trail, it's a suburb. But, it's nice." Stefan elaborated, his tone sounding tired and slow as Elena exhaled deeply and whispered. "Are you sure this isn't the painkillers trying to convince me?"

He shook his head, laughing when he stated. "No. I've just realized that life's too short to live without the person that I really want in my life. And, being that she's sitting right next to me. I figured that I'd ask her...So, what do you say..Move in with me, Elena Gilbert?"

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling tears of what she knew were joy begin to fill her eyes, she inhaled sharply as she repeated his words. "Move in with you?"

Stefan nodded with confidence as he spoke. "Yeah, move in with me and we'll be able to start a life together."

Elena pushed herself up, kissing his cheek as she leaned against his ear, whispering faintly. "Okay."

* * *

**A/N: Hey all. Hope you guys liked this update. Ch.32 will be skipping ahead a little bit, it's going to be set a few weeks later from where this chapter leaves off. :)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates to my stories or just to chat at: BePassionate_24**

**Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favorting and following this story. It means a lot to me!**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	33. Chapter Thirty-Two

**A/N: So sorry for being MIA lately. Hopefully this will make up for it. It's all Stelena. :) And, please keep in mind that this is supposed to be 3 weeks later ;)**

**Also, I highly recommend listening to these two songs: (I fell in love with them while writing this chapter)**

**1\. Ray Lamontagne & Damien Rice- To Love Somebody**

**2\. Damien Rice- Cannonball**

**Enjoy & Thanks so much for reading! **

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty-Two**

_Three weeks later….._

She'd about given up on scrubbing the rest of the dried up blood on his clothing over the sink in the laundry room of the new house that he had taken her to in Lake Forest. Her hands were red and heated, overly rough as the now cold water rushed over them, placing the shirt that she was scrubbing at the bottom of the white porcelain basin. She jumped a bit at the sound of his heavy footsteps across the light colored wooden creaking floors, turning just slightly to the sound of his voice that had echoed throughout the small room.

"I've been meaning to do something with this room. The only room in the this place that's pretty bland. Maybe we can figure out what to do with it together." He commented, taking slow steps towards her. It was late at night and she was tired, already dressed for bed in a grey and black night gown with lace fabric on the front of it. She could see it in forest green eyes, how much he had missed her. Elena hadn't allowed Stefan to get too close, to touch and kiss her. She hadn't allowed him to hold her in his arms since that day, a few weeks prior when she sobbed in his arms. Telling him about how free she now felt because of the death of Matt. The man that had caused her so much hurt and suffering. However, Elena had made it clear over the last few days that she was still too scared, almost like she was in an unrealistic dream state to get too close to Stefan.

"Talk to me, please. Don't shut me out, Elena. I'm going crazy over here, trying to think of something to say, trying to figure out what I could have done differently. Yet, I keep drawing blanks. I haven't been able to sleep since it all happened. I lay beside you at night and keep thinking about all the things he put you through….It was self defense, Elena. He was going to kill you, and me. I had no choice. We struggled for the gun and it..It just went off!" Stefan elaborated, placing his hand gently on to her shoulder, one of his fingers accidentally lowering the strap to the black tank top she was wearing.

He could feel her body stiffen under his touch, he could tell that she wanted to be alone, probably hating the fact that he was interrupting her moment of silence. But, he hated all of this as much as she did, probably even more. Ever since it happened, part of Stefan had felt as if he was a burden to her.

"I didn't mean to kill him..You know that. But, I know you aren't mad that he's gone. I can see it on your face, in the way you look at me. It's something else that I can't place. You seem relieved? Look, whatever it is, you can tell me. Because, I was protecting you. I will always protect you and I don't care what you think about that. Because, it's true. I'm here for you, Elena. I'm in this relationship because I want to show you that not every damn guy is like Matt.." He told her, turning her just slightly away from the sink as she glanced up at the three black polished cabinets that were above the sink, turning to look over at the dryer and washer that were on the left side of them, a medium sized folding table, near the wall that had four different slots for storage under it.

"Well, you need to stop." Elena demanded, huffing out a breath and looking at everything in the room except for Stefan. Although he knew by her tone that she was irritated.

"I need to stop, what exactly? He was going to try and kill you, for a second time! I had no choice but to shoot him, Elena. It was justified! Lexi cleared me and so did the other police officer with her after they determined that my life and yours were being placed in danger!" Stefan explained to her as she exhaled heavily, finally turning to face him.

"You need to stop putting yourself at risk for me. He shot you, Stefan." Elena reminded herself, closing her eyes and trying to not remind herself of the horrifying incident in which she had watched Stefan fall to the ground, blood splattering across his face as the bullet pierced his shoulder when he stepped in front of Matt's gun,trying to protect her from getting hurt.

"It's just a flesh wound. The bullet just grazed my shoulder. And, it's healing nicely." Stefan confirmed, lifting up his sleeve a little as Elena lifted her hand gently, running it up and down over the red and black flannel plaid button up shirt, slowly rubbing his arm.

"It doesn't hurt." Stefan told her encouragingly, locking his eyes on to her as he took her hand off his arm and looked it over for a moment, taking in the fact that she was wearing the promise ring that he had given her on her right ring finger.

"Elena, I'm okay….See.." Stefan's voice trailed, dropping her hand for a moment as she watched him unbutton his shirt, sliding it down to his elbows so that it exposed where the doctors had placed a piece of gauze on where the bullet had injured him. Stefan watched her cautious brown eyes, feeling her hand slip under his shirt as she bite down on her lower lip, smiling just a little at how warm and soft his skin felt- she missed him.

"You're not okay and neither am I. Stefan, you don't need to protect me anymore. I can take care of myself." Elena had told him, a mischievous grin on her face as her thumb touched the skin on his shoulder, a few inches away from where the bullet had grazed him. Elena could hear him laugh a little, shaking his head and placing his lips against her left wrist, her hand loosely around Stefan's neck as her eyes secured on to his when he began disagreeing with her.

"You can do this all alone? I nearly got killed for you a few weeks ago, because you thought that you could protect yourself, alone! All of this, everything I've done to keep you safe. It's all been for you! And, you're standing here trying to tell me that you don't need me? Trying to push me away, when you need me the most right now! Elena, we may not be in that serious of a relationship in your eyes. But, in my eyes...I love you and I want start a life with you, that's why I brought you out here..To keep you safe, to keep you with me. To keep you alive and to show you that we can be together without all of the madness that surrounds us."

"Hell, I'm finally divorcing Katherine. I signed the divorce papers two weeks ago. So, that we could finally be together. So, don't give me this bullshit excuse of saying that I don't care about you, that I shouldn't protect you from things and that you can do it all without me. Because, I sure as hell, couldn't have survived any of this without you..And, you're fooling yourself if you think that you could have done the same without me." Stefan finished, his hands removing Elena's as he began to turn away from her, lifting his opened shirt that had a black tank top underneath, exposing his rippled abs and muscular body underneath the fabric.

He heard her breath catch, a sigh leaving her lips when she took a step towards him and placed her hand against his back, sliding it down against the fabric and watching her own fingers bunch up the hem of his shirt, pulling him back towards her. "Don't go. Please, I'm being stupid. I'm just having a bad day. I keep replaying what happened to you in my head and, it pisses me off to think that because of me, you almost died. I brought Matt into our lives, Stefan..I did that and I'm sorry."

"Elena, he wanted you back and he wasn't going to stop until he had you. But, what Matt didn't realize is that I wasn't going to stop either, I wasn't going to stop until I knew he was gone and that you were free of him. I know you think that you can live your life without me, Elena. But, we both know that you can't. You'd be back on my doorstep in a few months…" Stefan elaborated, turning his head to the side to catch a glimpse of the frown that was now forming across Elena's face.

"Stefan. How can you be so nice to me after everything that I've done? You almost died. Because of me...I was the reason that you had a gun pointed at you." She admitted abruptly.

"It wasn't your fault, Elena..It wasn't your fault. But, if I was faced with it again. If I had to make a choice like that to protect you. I'd do it all over again, just as long as I knew that you'd be safe and okay. Hey, I wasn't joking around when I told you that I loved you, Elena. That I'd do anything for you. That I'd protect you no matter what- even if it meant putting myself in danger." He explained, finally turning back around to glance at her. He could see the fear in her own eyes as she lifted both of her shaking hands and placed them against his stubble covered cheeks, her thumbs making small back and forth motions against his skin.

"You were shot because of me and it angers me because you're all I have, Stefan. You are all I have left right now and I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you…" Her breathing was staggered, tears making an appearance as she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes tightly and attempting keeping them at bay just for a moment.

"Hey...Elena... I'm right here. I just want you to believe me when I tell you that I'm not going anywhere, even if you push me away...I'll be here. I'm going to be here for as long as you need me." Stefan said once more, in a comforting way he lifted his hand as he felt a sense of calm suddenly surround him when he touched her flesh, finally breaking some distance between them, both emotionally and physically.

"I'm right here. I promise." He repeated, taking her right hand into his own and cupping it into his own as he lifted it to his lips, kissing her wrist and the palm of her hand, watching Elena close her eyes at the small gesture.

"Please, don't leave me..Everyone's left me in my life and I can't go through losing you too." She commented, her voice was just above a whisper, a barely there tone when she took a deep breath.

"I won't walk away from you and I'm not going to give up on us, not matter how much being together scares you. I'm here to stay, Elena. For however long you want me." Stefan said, taking another step towards her as he kept a hold of her hand, feeling her left hand pull him towards her by the hem of his black tank top. Stefan's intense gaze bore into Elena's brown eyes as she watched his hand lift up to caress her warm and rosy red cheek when he uttered out in a truthful and loving tone. "I love you."

She swallowed hard, her brown eyes still glued to his. Elena could feel herself swaying suddenly, the room felt overly heated by the moment that he stepped in front of her, watching her bite down nervously on her lower lip, drawing a bit of blood from how nervous she was all of a sudden with just being near him like this after weeks of tugging and pulling away, shutting herself off from Stefan and the rest of the world.

"We're okay." He swore to her, lifting up his index finger to wipe off the smudge of blood that was dripping from her lip. Stefan took his other hand, moving a few strands of her straight brown hair out of her eyes as he lowered his other arm to the middle of her back, pulling her closer to him. He was silent, words seeming to fail him as he felt her body push against his, a gasp escaping her mouth as he moved his head to be just a bit closer to her, licking his own chapped lips to moisten them before he leaned into her, licking off the excess blood off of her bottom raw looking lip with his tongue.

He watched her step closer, her arms loosely placed against his shoulders. She didn't speak, maybe it was because she was out of words, just like he was. He missed her, the feeling of her warm flesh under his fingers. The loving brown gaze that she had been giving him up until the accident happened with Matt had finally returned and at this point, Stefan didn't want anything to ruin the way she was looking at him- like a woman in love with a devoted and loving man, like a woman that only loved him and no one else.

"You're not going to lose me. I swear, that you never will. And, I'll do everything in my power to keep that promise. I'm yours, Elena..No one else's." Stefan proclaimed, feeling Elena's hands lace together against the back of his head, her thumb brushing up and down the short hair against the back of his neck. She whispered "I know." before being the first to move towards him, inhaling the scent of body wash and a light aroma of freshly chopped wood from outside.

Their lips were just centimeters apart as Stefan opened his mouth to say something. Elena's stopped him, she brushed them against his in a hunger filled kiss, making Stefan pull her closer, deepening the kiss against her mouth, producing Elena to back away from him to catch her heaving breath and calm her racing heart.

"I don't want us to ever be apart again." She muttered, breaking away from him and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. He stayed silent as he took a hold of her hand and placed it back on to his shoulder, pulling her even closer, Stefan's green eyes blazed at how much tension was being created between them. The line between love and need had started to blend together and all he could see, all he wanted was her in his arms again. Without feeling burdened. Stefan wanted to show her that what they had now was more important than what Stefan had ever had with Katherine.

" We never will be apart again..You saved my life. " Stefan replied, lifting up her chin with the tip of his finger as he slowly walked backwards with her, gently hoisting Elena's small frame up on to the table that was in the laundry room, hearing it hit against a wall that it was next to.

"And, you saved mine." Elena whispered, her voice quivering as she looked down at her dangling feet, watching Stefan lift one of her legs against his chest. The soft touch of his thumbs rubbing against the top of her swollen ankles made Elena lean her head back, sharply exhaling.

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." He murmured, stopping his thumbs from massaging her ankle as he replaced them with his lips, kissing her anklebone and working his way up slowly towards her kneecap. The hot feeling of his mouth upon her skin, his lips leaving wet kisses against her flesh drove Elena crazy as she felt him stop near her inner thigh.

A sinister smiled played across his lips when he lifted his head up and saw her swallow rigidly at the powerful pull she felt towards him. "Stefan.." Elena began to object at what she was feeling. Although, her actions- wrapping her legs around his torso and pulling him closer in between her legs had made her own words even more irrelevant. Stefan smiled up at her, felt her body jerk forward as an unsure small smile spread across her lips, her brown eyes staring at him intensely.

" I've had enough of being away from you, of being without you...I can't take another minute without holding you, without being near you, without loving you." Stefan said, his hands pulling her body towards him even more. The space between them diminished as Stefan threaded his fingers through her hair and Elena leaned towards him again, capturing his lips against her own, this time the movements between them were rougher, the kiss made her heart jump inside of her rib cage as she bit down on his lower lip and sucked down on it, tasting him inside of her mouth.

Her lips quivered as Stefan broke away for air, brushing his thumb against Elena's parted lips. His eyes locked on to her as he leaned in once more, memorized by her. "You're mine." He whispered, against her lips. Elena's hot breath washed over him, leaving a tranquil feeling of calm between them. She could feel her body lean back, her eyes closing when his fingers brushed against her inner thighs, making the silk grey and black fabric of the sleepwear that she was wearing lift as well.

He heard her breath hitch when his fingertips moved across her olive colored skin, the grey silk fabric bunching up higher with every move his hands made against her flesh, Stefan's mind and eyes were filling with an insatiable hunger that he couldn't control, one that he didn't want to within the moment. As he took her hands, placing them back against shoulders, leaning back into Elena and watching her back being lowered against the table when it moved with them just an inch away from the wall that it had been pushed up against.

Elena giggled just a bit, feeling the stubble of Stefan's chin sweep across her skin and she smiled to herself, feeling his hands gently pull her black colored underwear down as he kissed her inner thigh again, sucking and licking on the flesh, Stefan lifted his head up from between her legs when she arched her body up, allowing him to remove her underwear. And, when he was satisfied enough that they were down to her knees and not restricting him from his plan, Stefan felt Elena's fingers touching his neck, her pleasurable whining egging him on.

"Stefan...What are you doing?" Elena choked out. Her question was more of a rhetorical one, she knew damn well what he was about to do her. However, she wasn't really prepared, she hadn't given herself enough time to think about what he was doing to her because she had been so caught up in the moment with him.

"I want to make sure that I savor this moment." Stefan replied in a serious way, a small chuckle added at the end with his gleaming green eyes glancing up at her, were more than telling as Elena's breathing picked up when she felt Stefan kiss her tanned thigh once more, his touch moving closer and closer towards where she knew he was about to make her fall apart. "I'll be gentle, I promise." Stefan told her as he sucked on her skin and she felt the sudden flicking of his tongue against her core, making Elena's eyes roll back and her head tilted back too as her back arched forward and her whole body felt as if it was set on fire from one slick motion of Stefan's tongue inside of her.

* * *

She was weak and tongue tied when Stefan gently moved them from the table down onto the laundry room floor. Elena felt Stefan's body weight on top of her, his heaving breaths filled her ears as her legs bent at the knees, and he undid his belt buckle and freed himself from the pants that he wore, the arousal of Elena's touch against his groin and the way her body had felt pressed up against him, made every muscle inside of him tense and ache for her as he began kissing her lips, deepened the kiss when she arched her back forward towards him, a growling noise was heard from his throat as she laughed and pleaded for him to continue.

She moaned and sighed profoundly when she felt Stefan's hand stroke her breasts with his palm, replacing his palm with his tongue, teasing the nipple inside his mouth for a moment as her breathing and reassuring words filled his ears, he smiled. Stefan's fingers lowered down to her core as Elena attempted to break away from him, to calm her body and her racing heart. But, his hot and wet mouth trailing down her neck, licking and nipping at her skin made Elena to lose her train of thought and all she could murmur out were words that sent Stefan into wanting her under his touch even more. "I want you, Stefan...I always will." Elena whimpered out, hearing a deep chuckle leave Stefan's throat. Nodding as his mouth kissed her neck, he seemed fairly amused when he felt her legs lower back on to ground as his fingers grazed the sensitive skin of body and she exhaled contently, closing her eyes and leaning her head against his shoulder, kissing it before she placed her cheek there and felt him spread her legs open, gently pulling Elena closer towards him and kissing her as she cried out with a mixture of pleasure and pain when he thrust himself deeply inside of her.

Elena spoke to him breathlessly, her vocal cords weak and hoarse,her body feeling hot and tired as he rolled them over, creating no boundaries or spaces when he placed both of his arms on each side of her body, groaning out loud as she tightened her muscles around him and wrapped her legs even closer against his backside, Elena's hands ran up and down Stefan's bare back as she slipped off his shirt and threw it in under one of the chairs in the laundry room. She was speechless when she felt her body being lifted up off the ground and he hoisted her into his arms, his weakened shoulder pained him. But, he didn't care because all of his focus was on Elena.

"I want to make love to you." Stefan whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to be sent down Elena's spine as she gulped down a breath and glanced up at him with a surprised facial expression.

"Stefan, you're still hurt and I don't want to hurt you even more." Elena objected as he sighed out a breath through gritted teeth and reluctantly shook his head at her. "You won't. Now, let me take you upstairs to bed."

* * *

She felt her body fall against the bed, the white comforter leaving an indent of her body as Stefan climbed over her, stroking her cheek and leaning in to capture her already raw and swallow lips against his own. His hand roamed freely against her leg that she had propped up against his side, bending her back up against him, her fingertips making a small circle against the still stitched up wound on his shoulder.

Stefan felt her touch, her brown eyes filling with worry as he leaned down towards her, his eyes securing on to Elena's when he reassured her that it didn't hurt. Stefan's body weight pushed her down on the mattress as she groaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and feeling him take a hold of her legs as her heels pushed against his backside, pushing him further towards her, pushing himself harder against her. Stefan felt her body shake under him, the heated feeling of her breath washing over his neck and his face was exhilarating as Elena breathed deeply into his ears, laughing a little when Stefan rolled them over, tangling their naked bodies against the mint green sheets,continuing to kiss and touch her as they began reconnecting in a moment of passion that consumed them both.

Exhausted and spent , Elena closed her eyes, kissing his chest as his fingers slipped into her pin straight brown colored hair. She slowly and carefully slide off of Stefan's body, kissing his lips hungrily before picking up her red and light brown colored robe off the floor, the lights from four barely flickering candles on the window sill outlined her silhouette when she started to walk towards the master bathroom, but his sleep filled voice stopped her, his words making her heart fill with joy.

"I want you to be with me, for a long time. I know, it's cliche and whatever to this now. But, I love you and I don't want to regret not telling you that every day. You should know how much your loved, Elena...You should be cherish, looked after and taken care of...Provided for. You deserve a better life than the one that you've had. And, I could give you that." Stefan told her in a honest tone, lifting himself up on his elbow, turning to face her and watching as she stood with her back to him for a long moment.

He watched with an amused look as Elena turned back towards him, moving a strand of her hair behind her ear and clearing her throat to say something. But, Stefan getting up from the bed and wrapping the mint green sheet around his waistline, made her take a moment to think about what he was trying to say. Her eyebrows lifted, hands clutching the robe around her stomach, trying to rid herself of the nervousness she suddenly felt from his words.

"Are you asking me to…" She began to say, as Stefan stood in front of her, removing one of her hands from the robe and capturing it under his captivating touch.

"Your answer doesn't need to be today or tonight. It doesn't need to be tomorrow or in a few weeks..It can be whenever you're ready for it. But, I can't live my life without you in it and...I don't to..Damn it, I don't know how to say this without…" He began to explain, frustration in his tone at the lack of words he was unable to find. Instead, Stefan kissed the top of her hand, his thumb stroking it as he smiled up at her. Elena watched him take his other hand and stroke her cheek with the back of it.

"You should say something right about now. So, that I'm not feeling like an idiot over here for even bringing this up. Like, I don't know...Tell me that I should shut up and stop talking. That what I'm about to say isn't important to you." He told her, hearing a laugh escape past her lips as she moved towards him, closing the distance between them and leaning her forehead against his to look up at him through heavy and tired eyelids.

"I'm not going to do that. Because, It sounds important. You're kind of putting your heart on the line here and I don't want to crush it. Actually, I wish you'd finish what you were going to say before I comment on it. I'll just stand here and wait until you figure out what you're going to say to me." She replied, a smiling tugging across her lips as she heard Stefan exhale, taking a step back from her as he grabbed her hand again, kissing it before he intertwined their fingers together and then he finally explained his thoughts. " I don't know if you feel it at all. But, you've made me fight for myself and for what I want to be. You saved my life and you've loved me through thick and thin...And, I want to repay you for everything you've done. I want to give you a good life, Elena. I want you to feel the love I feel for you. I want to learn to love you like you love me- without worry or reservations- I want you to remember that you have someone who will fight for you, every single day and at the end of the day, I want you to realize that, that person is going to be me. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that-." He swallowed the lump in his throat, pulling her closer against him, a small space between their faces as he softly whispered into the quiet and still air between where they both stood in the dark, so vulnerably in each other's arms.

Elena ran her finger over his jawline as he smiled at her and finally blurted out. "I'm trying to say you're all I need for the rest of my life, Elena. I want you, for as long as you'll have me. I want to be yours and only yours.. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, when you're ready for it...I want to be your husband and I want you to be my wife."

* * *

**A/N: I can't even with these two...Ugh, I love them in this story so much.**

**Anyways, more goodness to come and of course more appearances from our other favourite characters in this story.**

**Follow me on Twitter at Be_Passionate24 and Please feel free to leave me a review.. I love getting feedback!**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	34. Chapter Thirty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Please follow me on Twitter for updates or just to chat about my stories and to find out what I'm working on next at: BePassionate_24.**

**Thank you all for reviewing, following and favoriting this story. I love you all for it so much! Hope you guys like this update. :)**

* * *

**Within** **Temptation Chapter Thirty-Three**

"What are we going to do with her! She's driving me crazy!" Caroline shouted out, walking through one of the many hallways in the house as she watched Klaus walk in front of her, turning around to answer his wife's question.

"Oh, I know. We tell her to move out!" Klaus replied, tensing his back as he felt Caroline's arms wrap around him and she leaned her head against it. "I'm exhausted, Klaus. Two times in the last week and for booze and cigarettes. She's on probation and she's acting like this isn't a big deal! What in the hell is wrong with her!"

"Well, she's sorely mistaken if she thinks that we're going to give in and let her do whatever the hell she wants. Honey, we're the power couple in this situation. Katherine hates authority, so right now..She hates us. Consider yourself proud." Klaus told her, turning around and embracing his wife as she leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes for a moment of bliss. But, the yelling from Katherine's room shattered Caroline's short lived few minutes.

"I'm not a play toy, Caroline Mikaelson! You can't just take me out for your amusement! I want out of this god forsaken house, this damn room and I don't want to stare at you or Klaus any longer..Ugh, the two of you make me want to vomit!" Klaus heard Katherine shout, slamming her fists against the wall right before she opened the door to her room.

"You're having a time out, darling. Relax. The next time your little ankle monitor goes off, it's going to call the cops and put you behind bars with the big girls." Klaus replied back in a teasing tone, smiling over at Caroline who had been up since 4 in the morning because Katherine had decided that she needed a cigarette and tried to take the car without permission to the furthest gas station away from town, sending her ankle monitor and the police to the Salvatore house where both Katherine and Elijah were staying with Damon, Rebekah, Klaus and Caroline.

"She could have gone to jail! She was outside of her limits and I just...I can't do this, Klaus! She's driving me insane and I'm feeling like I want to strangle her." Caroline commented, placing her hands on top of her head and leaning back into the red pillows that were on the brown suede colored couch, attempting to calm her already overly active nerves.

"Tell that to the judge who ordered us her temporary guardians for the next few months or the unamused police officers who brought her back early this morning!" Her husband hissed out, taking a seat next to his exhausted wife on the couch in the living room.

"She isn't making this easy on us. It's like she wants to go to jail for real this time and never see her son again. You know, she told me that-." Caroline paused, getting up briskly as Klaus gave her a confused look, watching Caroline extend out her hands to him so that he could pull her into his embrace for just a minute.

"I have an idea...We need to set some rules for her." She winked as she got up from his lap, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from the small side table near her. Klaus watched Caroline write down a few sentences, stopping when they both looked up to see Elijah walking into the living room.

"Katherine's never followed rules, you know that. She's going to act like they don't exist. You're wasting your time, Caroline." Elijah stated as he watched Klaus get up from the couch, fixing his suit and grabbing his brief case off the counter top in the kitchen, leaning over to kiss Sarah on the cheek.

"I'd love to stay and chat with you. But, Damon and I have to keep Dasells afloat. Since, Stefan's been busy with...Where has he been anyways?" Klaus asked, watching Damon step into the room with his arm around Rebekah, kissing her cheek before he looked over at everyone and said good morning.

"What I was going to tell you all before the king and queen of the house pissed me of, was that Stefan and I have a meeting this morning. He's divorcing me today. Well, I mean..I'm actually going to sit down with his lawyer and we're going to be two civil adults talking about everything that we want out of our divorce. That is if anyone can contact him, I've been trying to call him and it keeps going to voice mail. So, do any of geniuses have other ideas as to how to get in contact with my soon to be ex-husband?" She spat out, placing her hands on each side of her hips and tossing Caroline back her cell phone, with an amused look on her face. "Thanks for the phone, blondie. Well, actually. I should say, here's the phone back that I stole from you this morning."

"Look who decided to finally join us and look presentable and not so pissed off at the world." Rebekah smirked ,changing the topic and walking past Katherine as she eyed her up and down, grinning all the while.

"Well, at least I'm still looking better than you nowadays. How's that pregnancy going, Bekah? You seem a little chunky." Katherine pointed out, an underlining tone of annoyance in her voice.

"It's doing great, Katherine. I'm at a very healthy weight, thanks for asking, Honey. By the way, how's your ankle monitor? I heard you had a bit of a mishap late last night and sent my brother and his wife on a wild goose chase looking for you, until to our surprise, the cops brought you back. Believe me, Kitty Kat. If it was Damon and I that you had disturbed during a good night's rest, I would have left your sorry ass with the police and told them to take you to the dog house."

"Enough, Rebekah!" Elijah shouted, looking around to notice that Sarah had already stepped out with Klaus, waving to his wife and holding his daughter's hand as they walked out of the door.

"Well, someone had to say it. Caroline hasn't had enough guts to tell her how much of a pain in the ass she's been while she's been here. So, here I am..The bad guy, like always." Rebekah told him, trying to defend herself as she heard her older brother sigh out a loud exhale.

"Can't we all just be civil about this whole thing? I'm pretty sure that Katherine doesn't like our living arrangements as much as the next person. But, for god sakes. Let's be grown ups about this and just get along." Damon stated, huffing out a breath as Rebekah's blue eyes grew and she turned towards Damon, angrily staring at him.

"You know that I have never liked her, Damon. Honestly, I thought that Katherine was a huge suck up. She always got what she wanted and everyone loved her for kissing their asses." Rebekah concluded, turning away from them as she heard Katherine let out a forced and unamused laugh.

"I kissed people's asses? Oh, honey. I think you've mixed us up. I never once did that, I worked my ass off to get everything that I ever wanted. You on the other hand, have wiggled your way into people's lives, like a parasite. Poor Damon has had to put up with for years! Personally, you've had Damon whipped since you met him and to be honest, I have no idea what he see's in you." Katherine argued, her eyes gleaming with sass as she smiled mischievously.

"At least, I didn't string him along while I was married to someone else. Oh wait, that was you...Not me. My bad, I forgot that you've been kind of whore." Rebekah added in a smart-mouthed.

"You're such a bitch, Rebekah!" Katherine shouted, attempting to take a step towards her as Elijah stood behind her, holding her arms back and telling her to calm down.

"At least, I've always been faithful to the man I'm with, unlike you. I'm sure if Stefan wasn't wanting to divorce you, you'd still be trying to sleep with him! Careful now, Kitty Kat. If I were you, I wouldn't step too close to me, your ankle monitor might go off. And, we all know what happens when it does. " Rebekah said with a cheeky tone as the room went silent and she gave Katherine a beaming look of victory when she saw Katherine push Elijah off of her, crossing her arms over her chest in defeat.

"By the way, if you ever need some advice on how to not act like a bitch around people. How about you come see me, maybe then we can talk like the friends we used to be." Rebekah concluded, walking down the hallway without another word as she went into her bedroom that she shared with Damon.

* * *

"How can she be such a bitch! I can't stand that woman!" Damon overheard Rebekah say as she laid down against the bed in their bedroom and she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"She's always been like that. You two have been at each others throats for years and no one seems to know why. But, sweetheart for your own sanity and for mine. Please, just don't let her get to you. Stress isn't good for you or the baby." Damon told her, coming over to his fiance and placing is palm flatly on to her round and still growing belly.

"I just don't know when we started hating each other so much...You know, Caroline, Katherine and I used to be so close and then we just drifted apart. I met you, Caroline met Klaus and Katherine met Stefan…then, it became this competition between us, as to who could be better than the other when it came to everything we did. Caroline and Katherine had already formed an even stronger bond and were always together by that time, leaving me out in the cold like I didn't even exist anymore. They let being in the limelight get to their heads." She explained as she groaned and glanced over to feel Damon's fingertips stroking her cheek.

"Listen to me, maybe the three of you just need to sit down and talk things through, figure out where it all went wrong. All I know is that you aren't at fault, Rebekah. I don't think any of you are..I just think that life took the three of you in different directions and you grew apart. I know that you don't really hate her as much as you claim. And, I'm pretty sure that she feels the same about you." Damon explained, leaning over to kiss her cheek as she smiled just a little and placed her hand on to his face, locking her eyes onto him. Damon closed his eyes and smiling at her when he felt her thumbs rub his cheek.

"How is it that you know just the right thing to say to make me feel better?" She questioned sweetly. Calming a bit when she leaned in to kissed him once more as he nodded and smiled.

"I don't know, honey. I guess I'm just good with words and with women." He winked, hearing her laugh as she whispered. "I love you." against his lips. Damon kissed her back, pulling up for a moment when he added. "Listen, I love you, too. Now, just stay here until you cool off. I'm going to go get some work done with Klaus. Caroline is going to take Katherine to her divorce meeting. Right after I call my brother and find out where the hell he is!" Damon told her, blowing her a kiss before he exited out of the room, shutting the door behind him, dialing Stefan's phone number instantly.

* * *

"Shut it off." Elena mumbled, feeling Stefan lift his arm up that was half asleep underneath her head as he turned to grab the phone that kept buzzing for the 20 minutes on the end table beside them.

"He's just going to keep calling and bothering me, Damon..He's a persistent little asshole when he wants to be." Stefan told her with a laugh, leaning over and kissing Elena's forehead before he got up and swung his legs over the bed that they had fallen asleep on, clothing scattered from the nights events lay on the floor when he turned back around to watch Elena cover up her naked body again.

"You know, maybe a round two was a bad idea last night." She told him with a smile, hearing Stefan laugh as he glanced over at her and shook his head, taking his cell phone into his hands and just about to listen to his voice mail.

"I don't think so. But, watching you keep up with me was pretty amazing." He commented with a wink, noticing Elena's cheeks blush when she thought about making love to him all over again just the night before. It was his idea and part of her didn't even give a damn because she was mesmerized by him, too caught up in the moment to care about anything else.

"Why do you think Damon keeps calling.." Her voice trailed off as she glanced up to see Stefan's hand in front of her face, trying to listen to the voice mail.

"Son of bitch!" He murmured, getting looking around the room briskly and shutting off his phone. He glanced over at Elena and shook his head. "I forgot about the meeting I have with Katherine in town today, it's regarding our divorce and I'm 10 minutes late to it."

"Oh." Elena said as she watched him throw on a plain black t-shirt and a pair of khaki slacks, buttoning up a white unironed dress shirt.

" I totally forgot about the meeting and Katherine's already there, probably schmoozing it up with my lawyer! Listen, how about I meet you later in town today and we can have dinner tonight." He suggested, throwing over his jacket and smiling at Elena as he watched her crawl over the bed towards him, the bed sheet slipping off her already bare and heated flesh.

"I'd like that." She mused, grinning at the thought of going out to dinner and meeting up with Stefan.

"Good, here's your new cell phone. Keep it with you and I'll text you when I get done. Also, here are a set of keys to one of my cars that are parked in the garage. It's yours now and it's a surprise. So, drive carefully." Stefan instructed her, leaning forward to kiss her lips softly as he backed away and cupped her face into his hands. "I love you, more than you know."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, capturing his lips against hers once more, attempting to deepen the kiss and pull Stefan back into bed with her to continue their escapades from the night before and earlier in the morning. But, he was reluctant to it.

"Ah, sorry sweetheart. But, I have to really go." He commented against her lips, pulling away and stroking her hair with his fingertips as he left a chaste kiss against her shoulder. "But, I promise that we'll continue this when I see you again later tonight for dinner." He winked, pushing himself up off the bed and walking out of the room as he glanced over at Elena once more who had fallen back against the sheets and was blissfully looking up at the ceiling, then at her promise ring that Stefan had give her, just months earlier.

* * *

Elena grabbed the keys that Stefan had left for her on the dresser top on their room, giving herself a once over as she ran into the garage. She opened up the garage door as she stood in awe at the red convertible Mercedes Benz sports SI550 car that was parked right in front of her. She smiled just a little as she walked over it and ran her hands over the car's paint job, inhaling the smell of the leather as if she had never seen anything that nice before.

"Do you like it?" She heard Stefan ask as he stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waistline and pulling her in close, kissing her cheek as she leaned her face against his and smiled widely. " I thought that you left." She murmured out. Feeling him kiss her neck as he whispered into her ear. "I wanted to see your reaction to the car first. I'm not that late. Actually, just a little bit. But, I don't need to leave for another half hour." He admitted.

"Stefan, you can't just give this to me, I love it. But, I need to pay you back, this isn't fair. You've given me too much already." She told him, turning in his arms and wrapping hers around his neck as she frowned at the loosened blue and white stripped tie around his neck that he had forgotten to fix before he walked out of their bedroom.

"You don't owe me anything, Elena. You have a new drivers license and you need a car to get around to places and I have an extra car that's just been sitting at this house without anyone driving it. Babe, it's not that big of a deal. Listen, get dressed into something sexy, go downtown and run those errands that you told me that you needed to go do. Then, meet me at the Peninsula hotel at 8pm tonight on the rooftop. I have a surprise for you." He told her, feeling her hands grip on to the collar of his shirt as she pulled him in once more and kissed his lips feverishly, inducing a groan coming from Stefan's throat as he pushed Elena closer towards the car. His hot breath washing over her ear as she felt his hands place her body against the car's hood, her thighs sliding up against the hood of the Mercedes until she was sitting on it and Stefan was between her legs.

Stefan laid her down on top of the hood, deepening the kiss and feeling her chest arch forward, heaving for air when she pulled him down closer, her fingertips blindly trying to undo a few buttons to his already half undone white dress shirt. "God, the things I would do to you right now, if I didn't have to leave in an half hour and if I wasn't late..Honey, you'd be begging me to stay longer." He seductively breathed, pulling back and kissing her lips once more with a sweet desire as he opened his own lust filled green eyes, watching Elena lay her head back down on the hood of the car, her hair spread out as she sighed loudly, propping her head up with her elbow and giving him a saddened look.

"I could make you want to stay right now. Besides, you're already late..What's a few extra minutes...10? 15? 20 extra minutes?" She asked him, letting down her hair that was in a messy ponytail and shaking it out as he watched it fall against her shoulders gracefully. Elena smirked when she heard a constricted breath that was lodged somewhere in between his throat and his lungs be released as he watched her slide off the car and turn him towards it, glancing over her shoulder to notice that the garage door was barely open. Just a crack opened enough to shine light into the room.

"You should sit in the car, turn it on, you know..See if it still works." Elena told him in a joking tone. Stefan paused, giving her a confused look when he walked over to the convertible and unlocked the door. "You want to sit in it?" Stefan asked her with a gleaming smile, sliding into the drivers seat as his legs dangled from outside of the car, firmly placed against the cement garage floor.

Stefan felt her legs spreading his open as she put her knee in between them, hovering over him and after pausing for a moment, Elena climbed into his lap. He watched her smile as he readjusted them so that her back was hitting against the steering wheel and she was straddling him in the driver's seat.

"This is really bad of us." She commented with a smirk, throwing his tie in the back seat and leaning down to hook her arms around his shoulders.

"Elena, I need to go to this meeting…" Stefan's voice cracked when Elena kissed his neck, nibbling and licking the soft spot just below his ear.

"I know..You keep saying that. But, you aren't doing anything to stop me." She replied, undoing more of the bottoms to his shirt as Stefan watched her hands fall to his belt buckle, grinding her hips at the same time that Stefan let out a sharp exhale of breath between gritted teeth. "Elena. I…" He began to say, but all this thoughts turned into unformed sentences.

Elena pushed her hair back to one side, smiling and leaning into him as she whispered softly. "What is it, babe..Can't form any words? Hm, I like that...When you don't talk and just touch."

Stefan leaned his head back, his hands firmly gripping her hips as the white colored shorts she wore, rode up her thighs. She heard him attempt to clear his throat as she rocked back and forth against his groin, smiling even wider when he let out a suppressed in take of breath.

"Elena, I'm glad you like the car!" Stefan finally stammered out, making Elena laugh as she kissed his jaw line and paused for a moment. Taking her index finger and lifting up his chin so that their eyes were level with each other when she added. "I really do like this car, suddenly, it's gotten a lot more sexier with you in it though." She complimented, leaning them back into the seat as her hand pressed the automatic button for it to recline all the way back.

Stefan ran is rough hands through her hair, pulling her down against his body and feeling her take both of his hands off of her hips. She gently placed them at the hem of her light green cotton t-shirt, lifting up the fabric to expose her leopard print bra that she had slipped on right before she went into the garage. The frantic kisses turned into a rough and heated make out session between them as Stefan's hands tugged on her hair and Elena's fingertips slide underneath his black t-shirt that he was wearing under the white button up one. When they finally broke away and Elena lifted her body up so that her back was pressed against the steering wheel again, she was breathless and so was Stefan. Yet, he didn't want to stop.

He watched her open her mouth, the little bit of makeup that she was wearing was perfectly still intact, everything except for the bright red lipstick that she had put on her lips. It had smeared across her cheek, against the collar of his shirt. Although, neither of them seemed to really notice as Elena taunted him once more, grinding her hips in a back and forth motion and she leaned into his ear, enticingly speaking with a low voice "You really should get going before I decide that we continue where we left off this morning. Remember, I can be pretty persuasive when it comes to getting what I want."

Stefan's green eyes widened, pulling Elena's mouth down against him as he felt her hand lay flat against his chest and he stared up at her in admiration. "Actually, I'd like to continue from where we left off this morning and don't worry, I'll give you exactly what you want. Remember, when it comes to you, I'd give you anything."

Elena cracked a smile, nodding when she felt Stefan's hands glide down against her back and up towards her bra. "Are you sure? Katherine's waiting for you." She reminded him, a bit of worry in her eyes that diminished when he readjusted himself against her and leaned into her ear as he spoke with a lust filled tone, laughing and smiling at her words. "I couldn't think of anything more enjoyable than being here with you right now. Katherine? Who is she again? Her name doesn't ring a bell in my mind."

* * *

"You're late." Katherine hissed, watching Stefan stumble into the conference room that had six chairs and a large table surrounding it as she noticed that the white button up dress shirt that he was wearing had a bit of red lipstick on the collar and his tie was lopsided, his hair a mess and just glancing his eyes on to her. Stefan knew that she was on to him.

"Elena keep you busy last night, is that why you're almost an hour late?" Katherine dug right into him, not even waiting for Stefan to sit down across from her or for his lawyer, Alaric Saltzman to join them.

"It's none of your business, Katherine. Now, where's Alaric?" Stefan snapped at her, tapping his hands against the wooden table nervously as they waited in uncomfortable silence for his lawyer to arrive.

"Stefan, sorry that I'm a bit behind schedule and had to make you both wait." Alaric said, straightening out his red colored tie that was tucked under his navy blue suit jacket.

"It's fine. Alaric, I'm assuming that you've met Katherine." Stefan commented, leaning back into his chair and glancing over at his soon to be ex- wife who was flipping a strand of her long dark brown curls in between her fingers, like she didn't have that much of a care in the world.

"This is really pointless, being here. I already told Stefan that I didn't want the business anymore, Mr. Saltzman. This mediation meeting is for no reason. We're not in a dispute for money or land. I just want what I want and so does, Stefan. We're already reached an agreement of sorts."

"Yeah, you also haven't made what you want very clear, at all." Stefan shot back, huffing out a breath as Katherine leaned forward, smirking.

"To be frank, I made my intentions very clear. I want the 10 bedroom house near downtown, I want a trust fund set up for Ethan and, I want my mother, Elijah and I to be out of the limelight completely after this whole mess blows over. I want a normal life that doesn't connect me to you at all." Katherine countered, placing her hands underneath her chin, listening to Alaric speak as she gave him a flirtatious glance.

"What about Dasells? This family run business is in both of your names. What's going to happen to it?" He asked them both, noticing that Stefan was looking down at the glossed over cherry wood colored table when he cleared his throat and spoke just above a whisper.

"I want Elena and I to run Dasells, with my current team. I also want her to take over Katherine's responsibilities in the business and to officially promote her in becoming a member of our head advisory board. I want her to be the main leader of it, actually." Stefan added, glancing up at Katherine as he saw what was undeniably a furious look on her face.

"Excuse me?" She asked him, cocking her head to the side and nearly spitting out her words across the table at him. "What does that homeless hobo know about business! She was stealing and living in a shelter for crying out loud before you found her. I'm the one who made Dasells what it is today. Without me, your precious little company wouldn't be anything. I want at least 50% of my share that I'm still entitled to from Dasells antique stocks and I want a corner office with my name on the door, as a board member of this little committee." Katherine remarked, watching Stefan shake his head as he let out a sigh, glancing back up at her just as a small laugh left his lips.

"What's so funny?" She shot at him, her brown eyes blazing with irritation.

"You just said that you didn't want anything to do with me or the company and a few months ago you told me that I could have it all, that you didn't want any of it. Why is there a change in your tune now?" Stefan asked her, leaning forward and folding his hands together as he heard her whine out as if she was in excruciating pain.

"That, was before you mentioned Elena being a part of Dasells! I don't want her anywhere near it, Stefan. She'd run it to the ground. And, you'd be a follow to have her take my place!" Katherine retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing over at Alaric who was staring out the window, trying his hardest to not listen to the bickering couple that sat before him.

"She's a part of my life, Katherine. You need to accept that you and I are over and that I chose Elena. And, Elena being a part of my life means that I'm going to share things with her. So, if I want to share the company with her, than I'm going to do so." Stefan told her firmly, seeing Katherine roll her eyes when she exhaled heavily and added. "Yeah, well...Will that be before or after she leaves you with nothing?"

He couldn't believe his ears. Stefan shook his head, biting down on his lower lip, tightening his fists into a hard grip when he took a deep breath and secured his gaze on to his soon to be ex-wife as he declared. "I think you've got the wrong twin sister mixed up in that pretty little head of yours. Because, if I remember correctly, Katherine...Elena wasn't the one who left me when I needed someone the most as I was fighting my own battle with the darkest of my demons, she was there everyday. By my side, telling me that I was going to be okay. If memory recalls, the person who disappeared without a trace and never once called to see how I was...Was you! That was you and I'll never be able to forgive you for that."

* * *

Elijah watched as Katherine stomped into the room that they were sharing, throwing her bag on to the bed and slamming the door.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked her, lifting up his head from the pillow that he had rested it against as Elijah watched her lay on the bed beside him.

"No, I can't talk about it. But, I can talk about the fact that I want this all to be over. And, that this divorcing Stefan thing has turned into a disaster! We're bickering like angered wolves at each other." Katherine told him truthfully, turning her head to glance over at Elijah as she sighed out a breath and he turned his face towards her too, they were eye level with one another.

"You were right, you know. You're the only person who I can trust, who knows me better than anyone and I'm sorry for everything that I've done to hurt you. Elijah, you being here with me, helping me through this means more than you will ever know. So, thank you." She told him, taking her hand as he watched her about to move it underneath her head, his own hand reacted first. Katherine smiled when she felt him grab it under his touch, stroking her skin with his thumbs and kissing the top of her flesh softly.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Elijah asked her, hearing a loud agitated sigh leave her lips when one of her closed eyes fluttered open and she looked up at the ceiling fan that was spinning above their heads. Katherine spoke to Elijah without really looking at him. "I'm going to take what he gives me and I'm going to move on with my life. Even though it's been hard on both of us and we're fighting. Stefan's right, he doesn't owe me anything. I've been horrible to him. I lead him on while I was sneaking around behind his back with you and then, I tried to pull Dasells out from under him, a company that has been in his family for years, not mine."

"You keep saying that you want to move on from all of this, yet you aren't doing anything to move on from it. " Katherine heard Elijah point out as he gazed over at her and then in a serious tone he added. " I have a solution to you being so indecisive. How about once this is all over and you're divorced from Stefan and my divorce from Rose is finalized. How about you leave with me, Katherine. For good this time, like we had planned all along! I can help you raise, Ethan. We can put him in the best private schools, we can move to a small little town in Europe and be happy together...We can live the life you always wanted, a normal one..Away from all of this. But, most of all. You, me and Ethan can be a family." Elijah told her, propping himself up with his elbow as Katherine glanced over at him with watery eyes.

"You know that I want that more than anything in this world. But, I can't be the mother I want to be to him when he barely knows me anymore. Isobel spends more time with my son than I do. I can't just step back into his life when it's convenient for me, to be his mother, Elijah. That's why I can't leave just yet. I want to. I really want to go after all of this is said and done. But, I'm afraid of what kind of mom I'll be to my own son once it's just us."

Elijah smiled at her, leaning forward and stroking her cheek with his fingertip, wiping away her falling tears as he softly spoke. "I know that you said you wanted Stefan to be a part of Ethan's life and I think he should be. But, he's not the only one. I want to be a part of his life too, Katherine. I want us to be together and I'd like to adopt your son as my own. I'll help you be the best mom that you can be to him, I promise."

* * *

"Bonnie, it's me. Look, I know that we haven't really spoken in a while. But, I was hoping that we could catch up for lunch. I really need some girl talk and I miss you." Elena told her over the phone, walking across the street to a boutique as she peered inside, leaning into her cell phone that was now against her shoulder when she added. "I really do miss you and I hope you'll call me back once you get this voice mail. Please, Bonnie. I need to talk to you about something, it's important. And, I really need someone I can trust about this."

Elena paused near the door as she hung up the cell phone and then readjusted the other two shopping bags in her hands, sighing out a breath. She had spent the day texting Stefan all the cute little things that she wanted to get them for their new house to see if he liked them or not and just as she was about to head back towards the Mercedes. Which was parked on the other side of the street, a floral white and dark blue antique looking vase caught her eye and she knew that she was in the right place once she stepped inside and read the white cursive letters on the glass door in front of her.

Elena pulled on the door of the small antique shop and walked inside, the overpowering scent of roses made her smile as she closed her eyes and remembered the last time that she had smelled such a beautiful aroma. She was a little girl, not any older than three years old when a young woman had come by and checked up on her at one of her foster homes. Right before leaving, the woman with dark honey blonde colored hair and bright green eyes gave Elena a necklace and a tight hug, telling her that she was sorry. But, that she had to keep her sister's secret and for Elena to be a good little girl, that she'd keep in touch for as long as she could. Yet, the years had passed and Elena had bounced around so much from one foster home to the next that all that moment had become now was one fading memory between her and a complete stranger. Nearly a figment of her own imagination and what she had dreamed up of what it would be like if anyone knew that she really did belong to a family that had given her up so many years ago, attempting to keep her own mother's secret hidden.

"Hi, How can I-." The woman began to ask as she turned around towards Elena, her clipboard dropping on the desk in front of her when Elena's brown eyes met hers.

"I'm not really looking for something. I'm actually looking for someone and from the look on your face. I think you already know why I'm here and that I'm in the right shop." Elena replied in a sweet tone, swallowing the lump in her throat as she saw the woman's green eyes begin to fill with tears and she whispered under her breath. "I'm sorry..I don't think I do. But, you look a lot like my niece, Katherine. Whom I haven't seen in a long time."

Elena looked around and noticed that it was just the two of them in the building when she bite down on her lower lip nervously and added. " I know this is going to come as a complete shock. But, I had two close friends of mine named Meredith and Lexi do some digging up on you to see if you still had this place and so, when they told me that you did and gave me the address. I thought I'd stop by without telling anyone. Look, I'm not here to ask for money or for anything like that in return. I'm just here to get to know you on my own. My name isn't Katherine. It's Elena Gilbert and it all came back to me in pieces, the memory I have of you. You probably don't remember it. But, I do. I remember you visiting me once at my foster home... Aunt Jenna."

* * *

**A/N: Did anyone of you see that twist coming? ;)  
**

**Until Next Time.** **Feel free to leave me a review with your thoughts. Love getting feedback..It makes me happy! :)**

 


	35. Chapter Thirty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**I feel like I really should apologize to you all for taking so damn long to update. My personal life has been crazy these past few months and adding writer's block into the mix for this story has made it really crappy with me for making updates to this one. Anyways, I'm finally slowly easing my way back into writing this story.**

**Well, Katherine and Elena finally have a semi decent conversation for once in this chapter. So, it gets pretty interesting. And, I hope you all like the update. :)  
**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty-Four**

"I am so sorry that I'm late." Elena told him, walking into the restaurant as she looked down at Stefan. The menu was in his hands, two half empty wine glasses sat beside him. One was filled with her favorite red wine and the other was filled with sparkling water. He had taken a liking to the fizziness of it, ever since he had promised himself that he'd never pick up a drink again.

Stefan felt her lean down and kiss his cheek, sliding out of her jacket as she slide into the seat across from him, giving him a sincere and apologetic look. "I've been waiting for two hours." He told her flatly. He wasn't that upset, he was just a bit disappointed since he had wanted to make the dinner a special and memorable one for them both. However, Elena had been held up by something that she said, that she'd tell him all about once she saw him at dinner.

"So, where were you?" Stefan asked, waving the waiter off as he quickly told her that he had already ordered for them both.

"I met her, Stefan." Elena said, her eyes glowing with hope and surprise as he gave her a confused look.

"Met whom?" He asked, watching Elena pick up her water glass. Placing it down and chewing on the ice in her mouth before she replied simply. "My aunt, Jenna. My mom's sister. That's why I was late. I just left her shop about an hour ago. I'm sorry that I didn't even really have time to change." She explained, pointing down to her lack of formal and nice attire as she pulled her flat ironed hair to the side and smiled up at him with a gleeful expression.

"I take it, the the meeting went well." He said, looking at her as she nodded and then sighed out a breath, closing her eyes and taking a moment. Elena looked so distant to him as she stared out past the group of people that had just walked into the overly priced Everest Restaurant that had a view of nearly all of downtown Chicago. She had gotten so lost in the moment that Stefan had to place his hand over hers, shaking her out of her trance for a bit. "Elena…" His voice trailed off when she finally looked up at him.

"Talking with Jenna made me realize a lot of things. Mostly, that I made a mistake with Katherine. I've been trying so hard to push her away and make her look like the monster in all of this. But, she's not and I'm an idiot for having done what I did. Jenna, told me that Katherine didn't have it as easy as I thought she did. She watched our parents fight all the time, she watched our mom fall apart and carry this burden of having me be adopted just because she wanted it all to be a secret. Katherine was sent off to boarding school at a young age because my parents thought that it was better that way. Because, every time they looked at my sister. Even though they loved her, they just didn't know how to be parents to her until she was older and went to college." Elena concluded, hearing Stefan exhale as he leaned back into his chair. He didn't know about that part of Katherine's life because she never really spoke about it.

"She tried to kill you, Elena." Stefan tried to point out as Elena looked down at her hands, quietly speaking.

"I know and it's all so messed up. And, I won't ever forgive her for it. Although, I guess I can only hope that she's realized her mistake. But, I tried killing her too. Emotionally. What we've been doing to each other, isn't fair. Katherine wanted to get at me physically and I wanted to get at her emotionally. Needless to say, we did way worse to each other. Both emotionally and physically hurting one another. It's not fair and it's not right. As a family, none of this is right or okay at all.." Her voice trailed off as she felt Stefan's hand on top of hers, his gentle touch taking her out of the funk that she was in.

"Elena, not to ruin your epiphany or anything. But, sweetheart. This won't be easy and I don't want you to expect much from your sister. It's going to take a long time for the two of you to come to some sort of understanding." Stefan advised as Elena nodded, giving him a small smile.

"I know. It will take a really long time for us to get to a point of understanding and to maybe even build a better relationship with each other. But, I need to try. I need to try and make things better. Stefan, none of us are perfect. We're not saints. We've all done incredibly messy and backstabbing things to each other. We're all a bunch of hypocrites. And, I've become one of them. I've lost sight of who I really am and it's starting to scare me." Elena said, pulling her hand away from Stefan as he cleared his throat, opening his mouth to say something. But, Elena's ramblings continued on as she added in. "She isn't a bad person. Honestly, Katherine and I have a lot more in common than I ever thought we did."

She watched Stefan's eyebrows lift while he pointed to himself as she laughed a little, shaking her head.

"Well, it's true. You both kind of do have me in common." Stefan told her, smiling and grabbing at her hand as he placed her left hand into the palm of his own, caressing her palm. " Hey, I know you want to fix things with her and I'll support you in it. I just, I don't want you getting even more hurt by her."

Elena intertwined their fingers, smiling a little as she exhaled deeply and leaned down to kiss the top of his hand. She lifted up her head and locked her eyes on to him. "Thank you, for understanding."

Stefan smiled back at her sweetly, taking his other hand and cupping both of hers into his palms. "You're welcome."

* * *

"Jenna said that she wants to see my mother and I told her that I'd arrange it with Katherine." Elena told him after dinner, leaning her head against his shoulder as they sat on the roof top outdoor patio of the restaurant. The cold wind picking up when she buried her face against his arm. Elena smiled as Stefan embraced her tightly, leaning her head against his chest as he spoke.

"Once you figure things out with Katherine, then you all should meet up. It'd be good for all of you to finally get things out in the open." Stefan commented, kissing the top of Elena's head and feeling her relax in his arms.

"I think so too." She said simply, looking out across the way at the almost empty rooftop.

"Stefan." Elena said his name in a sleepy tone as he felt a small smile spread across his lips, the way she uttered out his name made his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah?" He asked, tightening his arms around her as they swung back and forth on the swinging bench that they were sitting in.

She turned in his arms, a sudden smile appearing on her lips as she looked up at him, sitting on her knees, taking his hands into her own.

"I wasn't just at Jenna's today. Before, I went there. I had an appointment with a fertility doctor." She admitted, watching his eyes grow wide as she took in his stunned face.

"You don't need to say anything. Look, if you don't want to have kids or a family. I'll understand and you don't-." His finger upon her lips, stopped her words as he smiled sweetly at her, pulling her into his arms while he kissed her cheek.

"Don't be silly. I want a life with you, Elena. I love you and I do want a family with you. But, I just want to make sure that you're 100 percent in good health before we go down that road. And, that everything with Katherine is resolved." He told her truthfully.

Elena inhaled sharply as she looked him over. Just a few months prior to all of this she had been just a girl who never thought that she'd be in love with someone like him. However, here they were. Talking about children and living their lives together with ease. Talking about a future that she had always dreamed about.

"I know. We have a long road ahead of us to even talk about kids yet. But, the doctor said that where Matt injured me has healed well and that my 50 percent chance of getting pregnant has increased a bit. So, he said that I have a bigger chance of being able to get pregnant. All I need to do is take care of myself and in a few weeks I need to go back in and once he gives me the all clear. Then, I'll be good to go." Elena admitted, exhaling heavily as she saw Stefan smile at her, his cool hands still on her cheeks when he leaned in and whispered. "That's wonderful news, babe. That's amazing news."

Elena smiled through her sudden tears as she felt Stefan brush them away and she leaned her head forward, placing it against his as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "So, once everything calms down…" Her voice trailed off as she hesitantly brought up the topic again.

"I promise you that once things settle and once we deal with everything. Then, we can talk about this some more." Stefan replied, kissing her lips gingerly as he backed away and leaned his back against the cushions that they were sitting on, rethinking about her words and smiling just a little at the idea of starting a family with her.

"I've always wanted kids. You know, a big family. But, maybe four kids." Stefan told her, feeling Elena lean into him again when he lifted his arm up and wrapped it around her, his right hand that was draped over her was playing with her hair.

"Just as long as you're healthy. Because, right now..That is all that matters to me." He whispered in a sweet manner against her ear, tickling it a bit as Elena tilted her head towards his.

" Stefan, I'll give you as many babies as you want just as long as you promise me something." She said, her tone turning serious.

"Anything for you." He told her. His smile grew wider as Elena inhaled before she said. "If anything were to ever happen to me, if we did have a baby that you'd-." The way his fingers glided so tenderly against her cheek, made her stop her worry.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Elena. We're going to grow old together, you and I. With four kids and we'll live on a beautiful piece of land. We're going to okay. Both of us. I promise." He vowed, taking her hand into his own as he kissed the top of it, leaning his head against hers while they sat in silence for a bit.

"I'd never leave you. No matter what happens or how hard things get. I will never leave you." He promised, hearing her softly whisper. "I know. Because, I'd never leave you either. I love you, Stefan."

He kissed her again, pulling her closer to him as he sighed out a breath when he said. "I love you too. With my whole heart."

* * *

Katherine huffed out a breath, sitting down beside Caroline when she found her downing a glass of bourbon.

"Can we talk about what happened earlier? About how you hate me and Rebekah." She asked with irritation in her tone, watching Caroline roll her eyes, lifting herself up off the couch.

"I have nothing to say to you or to Rebekah. You both are vicious human beings that don't deserve any of my energy or my time." Caroline spat out, hearing the footsteps of who she knew was Rebekah standing behind the couch.

"I'm sorry for things that I did to you. For ruining our friendship." Rebekah softly said, tears welling up into her eyes as she looked over at Caroline.

"You're full of shit. You're just saying that because that baby of yours is about to pop out and you want someone to decorate your baby shower. And, you." Caroline was on a roll, turning her attention directly to Katherine before she continued while pointing a finger straight at her former best friend.

"You, Katherine Gilbert-Salvatore! Ruined our friendship the moment you made everyone believe that you went missing! I mourned you. I stood by my husband's side and we immersed ourselves in helping your heartbroken husband deal with your disappearance. And, then when we all found out you weren't really missing. To be honest, I think that's the moment I lost all my respect for you. As a person and as a friend. You lied to all of us. You lied to me! Someone who would have helped you if you were in trouble. I was your best friend, Katherine. I would have done anything for you!" Caroline told her angrily, shaking her head and gritting her teeth.

"Caroline, I never meant to hurt you. But, you need to understand that I didn't know what else to do or where to turn. I was protecting myself the only way I knew how. If anyone would have found out about my affair with Mason or about Ethan's real father. I don't know what I would have done at the time. And, as much as I was protecting myself. I was protecting my son too. That's why I left and I would have stayed gone for much longer, if it hadn't been for Elena." Katherine stated, looking around the room and seeing that Rebekah was fidgeting in her seat.

"We grew apart too. You know, we all became consumed with the power and money that we lost sight of the things that mattered. Like, our friendship, our marriages and ourselves." Rebekah replied softly as she placed her hand on to her growing belly and looked over at Katherine just in time as the brunette gave her a saddened look while she opened her mouth to speak. But, a sudden knock on the front door caused her to get up and pause.

"Hold that thought. I'll get it." Katherine said, getting up from her seat as she smiled to herself a little bit. As much as she wanted to fix things with both Caroline and Rebekah. Katherine was thankful that the knock on the door stopped them from going into further details about their broken down friendship. However, her happy and victorious attitude quickly faded when she pulled the door handle open and she saw both Stefan and Elena standing in front of her.

"You've got to be kidding me. My goody two shoes sister and my soon to be ex husband. Well, isn't this a cute surprise. Are you two here to mock me and tell me how shitty of a friend, of a lover, of a sister I've been. Because, it really seems like it's been a night for that." Katherine spat out as she watched Elena uncross her arms, stepping away from Stefan so that they had a bit of distance between them before she spoke.

"I'm not here to do any of that. I came here because I want to talk to you in private. Actually, I was kind of hoping that we could step out on the porch and talk about a few things." Elena commented, watching Katherine give Stefan a pissed off glare as he brushed past her.

"I'm going to go see my brother." He told her flatly, not even looking back when Katherine huffed out a breath and took a step outside into the warm night's air.

"What do you want? Was my action of saving your life after I realized that I made a mistake not enough for you. Or, are you here to gloat about your perfect relationship with Stefan. Because, if you want to do that. Find someone else who gives a damn, Elena." Katherine told her, taking a seat across from Elena as she watched her sister cross her arms over her chest, looking down at the floor.

"I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry for the things I've done. I didn't mean to hurt you by accidentally making everyone believe I was you. That just happened, Katherine. Stefan mistook me for you and every time I wanted to tell him, every time I tried to confess. I couldn't get the courage to do it. Because, I knew how much it would have broken his heart if he found out that the woman he thought was his wife, wasn't really her. Honestly, he needed you, Katherine. And, I guess I thought I could fill your shoes. That's another reason I kept up with the lie for so long." Elena admitted, ashamed from her actions in her part of ruining what Katherine had built with Stefan.

"You thought you could fill my shoes? Well, you didn't do a very good job at it. You finally confessed the truth, almost a year later after you made him believe that you were me. That's pretty screwed up. I mean, that's really screwed up. Awfully twisted and manipulative, Elena. That's completely like something I would have done." Katherine told her, watching as Elena's cheeks became red and she looked up at her.

"I was trying to find out as much information about you as I could, after he showed me your picture at the shelter. I wanted to stay in the house for as long as I could until I found out what I needed and then I was planning to leave, Katherine. I wanted to go. I didn't plan on…" Her voice trailed off as she thought about the last few months and everything that had happened. How could she explain this to his soon to be ex wife- to her own sister?

"You didn't plan on, what? Falling in love with him? Hm. I'm sure you didn't. But, I'm also pretty sure of another thing." Katherine began to say, looking out towards their parked cars as she spoke. "He made it fairly easy to fall in love with him."

Elena's brown eyes widened as she looked up at Katherine, nodding slowly. "He did." She confirmed, watching Katherine suddenly get up.

"I don't want to talk about this with you any longer. Because, it's too weird. Acting like we're bonding over a man that we both now have in common." Katherine told her, watching as Elena got up too, straightening out her outfit and her hair.

"Fine. If you don't want to talk about Stefan anymore. Then, let's talk about something else." She said, watching her sister pivot on her heel back towards her, crossing her arms over her chest and giving her an amused look.

"What else could we possibly talk about? The fact that I'm sorry I almost killed you? We already covered that. Oh and that you're with Stefan now. We covered that too. So, what else do you want to hear?" She asked in a snippy tone, giving Elena a once over and noticing that she was suddenly becoming nervous.

"I don't have time to stand here and talk about nothing, Elena. You came here to talk. So, spit it out already!" Katherine spoke with harsh tones as she tapped her foot against the wood and locked her gaze on to her sister.

"It's not nothing, Katherine. It's about our family. Do you want me to tell you how I met our Aunt Jenna for the first time today? That, she told me all about you and made me realize that you and I may be not as different as I thought. That it was stupid of me to make you look like the monster, when really. I was just as guilty." Elena said, giving her a saddened look.

Katherine shook her head. "You have no idea what I've been through. How could you? Firstly, you never sat down with me until now to ask me more questions. And, you just assumed things. I'm sure the minute you walked into the house I shared with Stefan that you thought that I had it perfect, that I had the most adoring little husband, the amazing life with the house and the fast cars, the money and business. But, let me tell you something, sister. That doesn't mean a damn thing. When you don't have a family that cares about you or when you don't even really care about yourself." Katherine told her, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes, feeling a fresh set of warm tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

"That's something that I know a lot about, Katherine, I had no one. And, I didn't know that you were in the same spot until I talked to Jenna today. They sent you away because it was easier for them to forget the mistakes they made with me. Our parents just made you disposable to them." Elena concluded, taking a step near Katherine as she watched the curly haired brunette sniffle and swallow the lump in her throat before she spoke in a raw and emotion filled tone.

"They loved me..I know that they did. But, now that I think about it. Love, can't be bought. It needs to be earned." She told her, watching as Elena gave her a small smile.

"I spent years at that boarding school wanting to come home and they'd make excuses for barely coming to visit. That was until I went to college, then they began to care. They paid for all my schooling to make up for the lost years. They wanted me to be well educated and to have a good life. And, I love them for that. Because, I have had an amazing life. Well, all the way up until recently." Katherine said, laughing a little and glancing down at the floor. "How screwed up is that? That even though they barely cared. That, I still love them. It just doesn't make any sense."

Elena shrugged her shoulders back, placing her hand against the white patio chair that she was standing near. " It's because they are your family. Listen, I think we need to talk to Jenna, together. Maybe even Isobel can be there." Elena suggested, Katherine quickly scoffed at her words.

"And, what makes you think that this little 'family reunion' will go smoothly? Honestly, I think you'd be wasting your time. They aren't going to tell you more than they already have. Jenna told you a little bit about me. You might as well just keep asking me questions, I guess in a way then you can see that we really aren't as different as you had originally thought. I'm not the bad guy here, Elena. Yes, I have made a lot of mistakes in my relationship with you and I'm sorry. I take full responsibility for what I've done and I do deserve this probation thing. But, I was never told that I had a sister, I didn't know about you. Until I found out that you were pretending to be me. And, I swear that if only I had known about you before. It would have been different. We wouldn't be like strangers." Katherine explained, sighing out a breath.

"Now that we've both apologized to each other, where does that leave us?" Elena asked, locking her brown eyes on to Katherine's. For a moment Elena could see the hope in them. But, from her sister's quick answer. She wasn't so sure about where this whole situation really did leave them or if there was any hope left for them at all to fix what was so broken up between them to begin with.

"I don't know. Maybe we should just continue to stay out of each other's way. I mean, you are still sleeping with Stefan. And, talking about that with you is just too awkward for me. Honestly, this whole situation is just too strange. So, let's just leave it at that. Staying out of each other's way would be for the best." Katherine told her, seeing Elena nod and hearing her cough out a breath.

"I'm sorry for everything. And, I guess what I'm really sorry for, is that you and I will never be as close as we should have been." She told her once more, causing Katherine's head to snap up from the gaze she had on her now bare left hand. "Yeah, me too." She whispered softly. Turning to walk back into the house without another word.

"We can't change the past, Katherine. But, we can try to change our future." Elena told her with a soft tone, noticing Katherine's hand slip away from the door handle when she turned back to her and said. "I'll go with you to see our mother and Jenna. But, after all is said and done. Elena, you can live your life any way you want, with whomever you want. And, please, let me do the same."

"You mean, live your life with Elijah?" Elena asked as Katherine nodded sheepishly.

"Yes, that's the plan." Katherine replied quickly, pushing open the door and walking back into the house before Elena could ask anything else.

* * *

**A/N: Please feel free to leave me a review or follow me on twitter to talk about my stories at: BePassionate_24**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

 


	36. Chapter Thirty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty Five**

"Isn't eating ice cream in the morning completely not okay?" Damon asked, watching Rebekah shoving a spoonful of French vanilla ice cream into her mouth as she sat at the dining table in the kitchen, reading over a parenting book.

"When you're pregnant. You get a free pass. So, did you know that there is no scientific evidence that proves that sugar makes a child hyper?" She asked, slowly closing her eyes and indulging in the ice cold feeling of the ice cream hitting her tongue. "Mmm." She sighed, opening her eyes again to see Damon's eyebrows raised at her, his hands on his hips.

"So, how did it go with Katherine and Caroline yesterday?" He paused, pouring himself a cup of coffee in his travel mug as he turned back behind him to grab a packet of sugar.

"Katherine who?" Rebekah questioned, shaking her head and shutting the book in front of her with irritation as she placed her hand onto her already round almost to the 7 month mark pregnant belly.

"So, you two aren't on speaking terms anymore I take it. But, what about Caroline?" He asked her, stirring his coffee with a spoon and tasting it before he put the spoon in the sink to his left side. "We're not. Katherine tried to apologize and I thought it over. To be honest, I don't know if I can forgive either of them. And, as far as Caroline Mikaelson goes, she has a lot of making up to do and, throwing me a baby shower isn't even going to be the start of it."

"Caroline wants to throw you a baby shower, even if you two aren't speaking?" Damon asked her with an intrigued tone as she watched him straighten out his dark blue suit. He was headed to the office to check up on a small meeting that Stefan had called mandatory for all of his closely trusted board members and main employees.

"Yes, she thinks that it would be her way of making me accept her apology. But, she's got her work cut out for her. And, so does Katherine." Rebekah explained, slowly getting up as she watched Damon rush over to her, helping her up gently out of the chair she had been sitting in for the last hour.

"Listen, sweetheart. Just, don't stress about it. If Caroline wants to throw you a baby shower for the baby. Then, that's fine." Damon told her, leaning into his fiancée and kissing her cheek as she sighed out an annoyed breath. "What did you just say?"

Damon smiled, moving a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear before he tried to explain his thoughts. "I just said that if she wants to throw you one. Then, let her. I mean, it'd be better than having your mother come all the way into town to help out." He stated, watching her sweet stare at his face turn into annoyance.

"What do you have against my mother? Damon, I'd rather have her come here than have my former best friends throw me a party that would only turn into a disaster. Besides, Katherine can't even leave the damn house to go out to pick things up for a baby shower. She's got that hideous ankle monitor on her leg!" She replied to him, rolling her eyes and stepping away from Damon as his soft voice stopped her.

"I don't have anything against your mother, Bexs. Honestly, I'd love to see her again." He stated, watching her turn around as she placed her hands on her lower back and rubbed her aching muscles. "Great, because she's going to be here for the birth of her second grandchild and she's dying to know what we're having!"

"Did you tell her that we don't want to know until the baby's born?" Damon asked, watching her nod. "Oh, I told her alright. And, she said that whatever the baby is that she'll love him or her and as long as it's healthy. That is all that matters." She told him, slowly making her way out of the kitchen as Damon looked back at the table, eyeing the book that she had been reading earlier. He waited a few seconds before Rebekah was out of sight to look it over. "Wedding venues and ideas." He read out loud, looking at the cover and smiling to himself.

"I forgot my book." Rebekah suddenly stated behind him, watching him drop the one he held in his hands as he gave her a sly smile.

"Wedding ideas?" He questioned, seeing her smile.

"Yes, Damon. Because, after the baby's born we're going to eventually need to get married. Unless you want to be engaged for the rest of our lives." She joked, snatching the book from his hands as he placed his other hand on top of her wrist, stroking her skin tenderly.

"I want to marry you and I want us to be happy." He stated, kissing the tip of her nose and glancing over at the clock as he mumbled a curse word under his breath.

"I gotta go sweetie, work and Stefan are waiting." He smirked, pulling her against him and leaning down to kiss her belly, whispering goodbye to the baby. "Love you both." He told her, leaving a quick kiss upon Rebekah's lips before he pivoted on his heels and grabbed his cell phone and car keys. "I'll be back later today. And, sweetheart remember that if you see Caroline or Katherine today at all. Don't let them get to you. Kill them with kindness." He winked, blowing her a kiss as he walked out, hearing her softly reply back to him. "Sure, I'll try."

* * *

"We're losing money and a lot of our long time employees are quitting. Sadly, it's all because I've been too focused on other things except for this business that Damon and I are the owners of! Our vendors won't even ship things to us anymore because we haven't even sold the last of our shipments and because of all of us being in the news for scandals and all this other bullshit, we're losing clients!" Stefan exclaimed, rubbing his hands vigorously over his face as he sat down behind his desk and looked across from him where Klaus, Damon and Elijah all sat.

"You've been through a lot, Stefan." Elijah announced, watching his former best friend glare over at it. If he could have had it any other way, he would have told Elijah that he wasn't a part of Dasell's any longer. However with Klaus and Damon's persistence of keeping Elijah a part of the team. Stefan had become outnumbered and had to call Elijah into the meeting and back into the offices because he knew that he needed a close ally and even though they were all trying to move past everything, Elijah was still one of his closest when it came to his business ventures.

"We all have. But, it's time to move past that and focus on saving this company. Before, we go bankrupt." Damon chimed in, watching Klaus nod as he exhaled deeply.

"I know that you said you don't want to give her anything or that you don't want Katherine near Dasell's any longer. But, I think we need to call her back into the board meetings so that we can have more ideas as to how we're going to keep this place alive." Klaus suggested, shifting his eyes from Elijah, to Damon and then back to Stefan who looked like he was about to rip his hair out from the comment.

"Do we have any other options aside from bringing Katherine back in to the same company that she tried to destroy? Oh yeah and back in to me working with her. Honestly, I don't think that working with my soon to be ex-wife will go over very well with anyone." Stefan said to his brother, watching Damon shake his head and fold his hands together against his knee.

"You mean with Elena. Working with Katherine and bringing her back into the fold won't go over well with Elena because you still want to give your girlfriend her sister's job." Damon said with a knowing tone, glancing up at Stefan who was silent for a while, the only thing being heard was the tapping of his pencil hitting against the top of the desk that he sat behind.

"Yes, I do. Katherine's become a liability for us. And, if news got out that after everything she's done that I decided to hire her back here. Things would be a disaster." Stefan told them all, watching Elijah scrunch his nose and heavily exhale.

"I disagree, Stefan. As much as you think that hiring her back would be a bad thing. I think she could help us. Hell, I think that they both could. Maybe Elena and Katherine need to put their differences aside completely and work together to help us from drowning. Because, let's be honest. That's what's going to happen here if we don't all be adults about this and work together." He told him, watching Stefan swallow the lump in his throat. The thought of losing Dasells, a company that Stefan had turned into his pride and joy made him feel completely uneasy.

"Fine, since we don't have another choice. We'll bring them both in and we'll talk to them about everything. I know that Katherine is on house arrest still. But, she can be here without her ankle monitor going off and Lexi said that as long as she checks in with her that Katherine's sentence could be lessened in a few months." Stefan replied, looking up at his brother and at Klaus and Elijah who were both smiling.

"Good, tomorrow morning. Let's get them both in here and let's see what we can do." Klaus said, nodding at Stefan who sighed out a breath, looking down at the financial statements that were making his head hurt because the loss of money for the company was becoming a huge problem and of course all he had was himself to blame for it.

"Okay." He replied simply, telling them all that they were dismissed and to get back to work because he knew that to get Dasells back into the game of being successful in the large and scary cooperate world. They all had a long road ahead of them.

* * *

"Hold on! I'm coming." Elena shouted at the door, running towards it with her hair a mess and a stain on her navy blue shirt as she opened the door and was face to face with Katherine who looked as if she just walked out of a runway show. Her long curly locks flowed down her back. She was wearing a black blouse and a pair of white high heels along with a white pencil skirt, her Louis Vuitton gray and white checkered purse slouched over her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked her, looking down at the small black monitor that was around her left ankle.

"Oh, relax. Lexi said that it was fine that I came over. She's actually the one who drove me here." Katherine pointed out, turning around and waving at Lexi who rolled down her window and shouted out. "One hour, Katherine. You get one hour and if you try to run. I won't hesitate to throw you into a jail cell." She vowed, smirking a little and waving at Elena.

"You look like you could use a makeover." Katherine quipped, hearing Elena shut the door behind her and lean her hands against it, rolling her eyes.

"What do you want, Katherine? You know, if you're here to harass me or to try and build some sort of relationship, making fun of me isn't the right way to do it." Elena said, watching her sister, pivot on her heels. She looked down at the ground while sighing out a breath.

"I'm here to talk about last night and what you said. You know, about aunt Jenna and mom." She told her, seeing as Elena pushed away from the door and locked her eyes on to her sister.

"I meant what I said last night, about not knowing about you. Because, I didn't know about you at all until just a few months ago. Our dad had a picture of him and a newborn baby girl in his wallet for years and I never asked him who it was. I figured that it was a baby photo of me or something. Since, all babies seem to kind of look alike when they're born. But, now I know it was you. Dad and Jenna were keeping mom's secret about you. They knew. Granted, dad took his secret to the grave with him when he died a few years ago. But, Jenna she never told a soul." Katherine explained, walking into the living room of Stefan and Elena's new home and sitting down on their dark brown suede couch, running her hand over the fabric.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Elena asked, looking down at Katherine as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because, I want you to know that John, our dad. That even though you might not think that he loved you. I think he did. Elena, he kept that picture with him for a very long time and he had to secretly battle with the guilt of siding with our mother on giving you up. The day he died, he told me to keep it. And, as for aunt Jenna. She didn't tell anyone that our mother had another daughter because she was afraid of losing mom's trust. I'm not making any excuses for what our mom did to us, separating us and keeping us apart like she did. But, what I'm going to tell you is this. That this isn't between you, me and our brother. This is between just us because I know it's going to take many years for us to fix things. However, I want to try and earn your trust back and build a relationship with you." She explained, noticing as Elena's eyes lifted so that they were locked on to hers.

"So…" Elena's voice trailed off as she sat across from Katherine anxiously, tapping her fingers against her knees.

"So, this is the house where you and Stefan live now, huh?" She asked, looking around the sprawling open floor plan with the large bay window in the living room, the walls painted a light yellow with white trim. Katherine leaned back into the cushions. Quietly noticing that neither Stefan or Elena had any personal pictures together.

"Yeah. He bought this house a long time ago, I guess. Stefan said that he had wanted to live in it with you and sell the 10 bedroom one that's closer to the city." Elena explained, hearing Katherine laugh a little.

"I wouldn't have been cut out for living in the suburbs. I'm a city girl." She stated, folding her hands into her lap and continuing to look around.

"I know that you probably won't believe me when I say this to you. But, I'm really sorry for everything that I put you both through and that it's nice to finally see you both happy. Maybe being away from the city, away from all the chaos that's there. It might be good for both of you." Katherine told her, watching as Elena brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

"I'd like to think so. This place is a fresh start and it's what we both need. What we all need actually." She said, seeing Katherine's eyes rest against the ring on her right hand. But, the question that she wanted to ask was cut short the moment her cell phone rang and she saw Elijah's name flashing across the screen. Katherine sighed, debating with herself to answer it or not. Because, for the briefest of moments, sitting in the living room with Elena. She felt as if they were finally connecting with each other.

"Speaking of a fresh start, Elijah's supposed to go talk to Rose and a judge today, to sign the last of the divorce papers between them. They're trying to get them finalized. But, in the state of Chicago, a divorce finalization can take anywhere from six months to a year. " She admitted, noticing Elena's eyebrows lift and before she could say a word, Katherine cut her off.

"He's a good man, Elena. Elijah has made a lot of mistakes and I don't condone him cheating on his wife with me because it wasn't fair to her. I realize that now, that I ruined their marriage because not only was I the other woman. But, I fell in love with him." Katherine told Elena, glancing up at her sister as she continued to talk.

"Elijah and Rose were married for a long time and I ruined their marriage by getting in between that. Elijah claims that he and Rose we already having lots of problems before I got involved with him. Just like you did with Stefan. Granted that Stefan and I, we were already falling apart years before you came into the picture. But, what all of us did to each other, it was inexcusable and now, we all have to live with the consequences of our actions. I'm not a bad person, none of us are. We've all just made some really bad mistakes." Katherine explained, seeing Elena swallow the lump in her throat as she nodded her head.

"Katherine, as messed up as this all is. We couldn't help who we fell in love with. You saw something in Elijah that made you love with him more than you should have. And, I saw something in Stefan that made me realize how great of a man he is." Elena added, sighing out a breath as she thought about it all.

"We messed up, I know we all did. But, we need to move past this and learn to live our lives in a different way now with all of our flaws and consequences." Katherine replied.

"I love him. I love Stefan and that's why I didn't want to give up on him at first. I acted like I was you for so long because I was afraid of what would happen if he found out. But, eventually I knew that he deserved to know the truth about me. So, I told him. I was afraid that he won't love me for who I really am." Elena admitted suddenly, getting up from her seat.

Katherine watched as Elena wiped her paint covered hands off of her jeans and turned towards the kitchen, stopping for a minute before she turned back around to face her sister. "What are you going to do once Elijah is divorced from Rose?"

She could see the small smile form across her sister's lips as she sighed out a breath before replying. "We're both going to move on with our lives, like you and Stefan are trying to do here. I'm going to take my son, Ethan. And, we're moving far away from the city. Where Elijah and I are planning on buying a house someplace nice."

Katherine looked up at Elena. As awkward as this conversation was, she was curious as to what her plans with Stefan were as well. "So, what about you and Stefan?" She asked.

Elena uncrossed her arms from her chest, walking into the kitchen and grabbing two bottles of water before she walked back into the living room, handing Katherine a bottled water before sitting back down again. She laughed, "This is awkward you know. Talking about our future plans like this. Like, either of us actually give a damn. But, I want you to know that I do, Katherine. You're my sister and since we need to get to know each other. Talking about the men in our lives is all a part of it as well." Elena opened her bottle, taking a sip of the ice cold water. Katherine watched her put it down before she cleared her throat and stated. "Stefan wants to get married and he wants us to start a family together. After the shooting, I got told by the doctor that I might not be able to have kids, ever. Although, I got some good news the other day. I went to a fertility clinic and they ran some tests. I have a chance to get pregnant and to have a healthy baby." She confessed, watching Katherine's eyes grow teary eyed a bit at the thought.

She leaned forward and grabbed a hold of Elena's hand, locking her eyes on to her. "I know that I shouldn't be saying this. But, I want you to know that whatever you need in the future and that from now on, along with Jeremy. I'm going to do everything I can to make it up to you and that I want to be in your life." Katherine said with pure sincerity and Elena could tell just by the look in her eyes that she meant it.

Katherine watched Elena place her left hand on top of Katherine's and with a small smile she softly stated. "I want us to be in each other's lives from now on too. That's why we need to go talk mom, Katherine. We need to put this behind us and I know we're still going to have hard days. But, that's what being a family is all about. Isn't it?" She asked, hearing Katherine laugh a little. Being a family, she thought. She never really had that growing up, even with their own brother Katherine had felt so estranged when she had gotten back from the boarding school that truthfully deep down, she hadn't had been a part of a family until she had met Caroline, Stefan, Rebekah and everyone else in her small inner circle.

"Yeah, it is. And, you're right. Listen, I'll call mom up tomorrow, you and I will go see her and we'll call Jenna to come too." Katherine reiterated the idea that Elena had spoken about earlier, releasing her sister's hand and looking up at the clock. She still had a half hour before Lexi was going to pick her up for her check in with her probation officer at the police station in downtown.

"Okay." Elena replied, leaning back into her seat and glancing over at her twin sister. "Since you still have a half hour. Tell me about your son, Ethan. I am his aunt by the way. Which allows me to know more about him." Elena said with a bright smile, watching Katherine's face light up at the change of topic.

She grinned, crossing her legs and inhaling deeply before she began. "He's a sweet kid, he's funny and kind. He's stubborn like I am and he's so full of life. I haven't been the best mom to him. But, I want that to change. I want to give him a fresh start too. I want my son to grow up without hearing all these nasty things about his mother. So, I'm trying. I'm trying even harder now to fix things. You know, when Ethan came along. I was forced to grow up fast and I did everything I could to protect him. I didn't protect him in the smartest way I could. Because all I wanted was to keep him out of the limelight and away from all the gossip. Although because of what I did, it all backfired. To be honest though, my son is the best thing that has ever happened in my life and I want to prove to him that I'm never giving up on the two of us." She explained, seeing Elena wipe away a few tears as she gave her a soft smile.

"I'm sure he knows you're trying your best, Katherine." Elena stated.

Katherine shook her head, sighing. "Yeah. But, it's still not good enough. I don't want him to live with mom and somewhere down the road, remember all the times that I wasn't there for him. I want to put all of this behind us and I want to be there for my son, Elena. I know you're not a mother so you wouldn't understand. But, it hurts me to know that I've failed him by not being in his life right now. And, because of that…." Her voice trailed off as she inhaled a sharp breath. "I have a lot of making up for lost time to do with him." She said, leaning back into her chair and closing her eyes, feeling as the tears that Katherine was trying to keep away began to fall.

"You'll get there." Elena softly whispered, reassurance in her voice as Katherine opened her eyes with a tearful gaze and spoke. "I just don't want him to hate me for the stupid choices that I've made."

"He won't." Elena said, glancing up at her sister as the room fell silent and she too choked back her tears when she added in. "Forgiveness takes a long time. But, if you're willing to work towards it with the people you care about. Then, it's the best gift that you can give yourself and them."

* * *

"I couldn't find a babysitter for her." Caroline stated, walking into Klaus's office at Dasell's and seeing him glancing up at her the next morning as she stepped through the doors with Sarah's arms and legs tightly wrapped around her body.

"Hi daddy!" Sarah exclaimed excitedly, nearly jumping out of Caroline's arms and straight into her father's lap as he kissed his daughter on the cheek and then kissed Caroline when she bent down towards him.

"It's fine, I do however have a meeting in about two hours with the guys and with Katherine and Elena." Klaus remarked, watching Caroline place her red Marc Jacobs purse down into one of his office seats, across from his desk as she turned her head to give him a confused look. "What did you just say? I could have sworn you just said Katherine and Elena."

Klaus chuckled, smiling just slightly as he leaned over to give Sarah a coloring book he kept hidden underneath all of his work papers for the rare occasions when Caroline had to drop her off at the office so that she could be with him almost all day. "That's exactly what I said." He replied, seeing his wife's face fall.

Caroline pulled out a bag of cracker gold fish, animal crackers, two juice boxes and a mini ipad for her daughter to play with as she placed them all on top of Klaus's desk. "Well, I hope you have fun with the bickering twins. I have to go meet with Rebekah."

Klaus's eyebrows lifted and his lips pursed together. "Rebekah? I thought you and my sister weren't on speaking terms. From her last text message to me, she kind of still hates you." He stated as Caroline glanced over at him.

"I know. But, we're trying to work past that." She pointed out as Klaus laughed a little, glancing down at Sarah who was contently coloring in her father's lap.

"You're trying to move past that. And, my sister isn't. So, you're planning her baby shower. Because, that idea came to you late last night after you two fought and because no one wants my mother around to plan it. Especially, not my sister."

"That's not true. I've met your mother, a few times. And, she seemed nice to me. Remember when Sarah was born and she sent us that fruit basket?" Caroline asked her husband as Klaus nodded. "I remember. Two weeks later, she showed up on our doorstep with loads of gifts for Sarah and telling you that she was surprised that you didn't already have a nanny taking care of our newborn daughter."

Caroline sighed out a breath. "I think having your mother here to help Rebekah out would be nice."

Klaus sighed. "Yeah, that's until Rebekah were to get sick of her."

"Look, I'm going to go talk to Rebekah about it. I'll be back in a few hours to pick Sarah up." She remarked, blowing them both kisses and telling Sarah to be a good girl for her father before she turned to open the door back up to Klaus's office.

"What about my board meeting, Caroline. I can't take Sarah into this meeting with me, Stefan won't be happy with that!" He exclaimed with a bit of anger as she turned back around and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure you can, honey. I'm sure Stefan will understand. Besides, just give her some crackers and some coloring books. She'll be an angel." Caroline smirked, adding in that she loved them both before closing the door behind her and leaving Klaus and Sarah all alone.

Once Caroline was gone, Sarah placed her hand underneath her chin and gazed up at Klaus with a curious look. "Daddy, what's a board meeting?" She asked.

Klaus shook his head, leaning them back into his seat as he placed his arms around his daughter and sighed. "Sweetie, it's a very important thing that grownups have when they need to talk about a business." He tried his best to explain to his almost 7 year old daughter.

"Like a party?" She asked, hearing him laugh as he shook his head.

"Yeah, it's a big party." He replied, placing his hands over his face in frustration while he thought about the look on Stefan's face the minute he walked into the meeting with Sarah in his arms.

* * *

"Come to yell at me some more?" Rebekah asked with sheer annoyance in her tone, glaring at Caroline who had a plate of brownies in her hands, silently hoping that they would smooth over the atmosphere and the conversation they were about to have.

"I brought food. I know you like chocolate and that the brownies from that bakery that's across from Dasell's is one of your favorites. So, I bought you brownies." Caroline said hesitantly, stepping inside of the house as she watched Rebekah turn around, taking the plate and observing the 10 chocolate covered gooey brownies. "You didn't sprinkle any laxatives over the frosting while on your way over. Did you?" She asked, hissing out her words.

Caroline ran her hands through her hair, apologetically glancing up at her. "Rebekah, I'd never do that to you. I'm your friend." She stated.

Rebekah angrily locked her blue eyes on to Caroline's. "You were my friend." She corrected.

"Please, let's just move past this and start over. I'm sorry, okay. I'm sorry that I've been a shitty friend, that I haven't been here for you when you needed me and that I threw one of the most important friendships in my life away over stupid things. We grew apart, Rebekah. God damn it! We grew apart and that's the problem here. You won't let me back in. It's like you refuse to let me or Katherine back into your life." Caroline shouted at her, watching her former best friend place her hand on top of her baby bump, rubbing her stomach as tears quickly spilled over her cheeks.

"Damn hormones!" Rebekah sighed out a shaky breath before yelled back at her. "Because you didn't earn it! Friendships are gained through trust and they aren't built on lies, Caroline! You keep saying you're sorry and acting like we're going to just fall back into the friendship we once had. But, here's the truth. It's not that simple!"

Caroline closed her eyes, inhaling through her nose before she replied in a bit of a calmer tone. "So, tell me what can I do to gain your trust back. So that we can rebuild our friendship."

Rebekah moved her hands away from her stomach and towards her hips, tapping her foot against the tiles in the kitchen. "And, why would you want to do that?" She asked with a glare.

"Because I messed up and because I care about you. I miss you, Rebekah. I miss having someone besides Klaus to talk about everything with. I miss going out with you and Katherine and just spending time with you. I just want us to be close again." She disclosed in an anguished tone. It hurt Caroline knowing that the friendship the three of them had once so long ago held dear was now destroyed by all of their own selfish actions.

Caroline watched Rebekah pinch the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes tightly and taking a moment to absorb everything that Caroline had just told her before speaking again. "You really think that planning my baby shower is going to help bring us closer and help fix this?" She asked.

Rebekah could see the hopefulness in Caroline's eyes as she stepped forward and placed her hand gently against her arm, smiling even more when Rebekah didn't step back. "I promise you that I'm going to make it up to you and that so is Katherine. We'll take it a step at a time. And, I think that if you agree to let me plan this and throw you an amazing shower for you and the baby that it'll be a step in the right direction."

Sighing out a breath, Rebekah took a step back and eyed Caroline up and down. She was too tired to argue any longer and so she finally gave in. "Fine. But, under one condition. If you have my mother come into town for this little party. Let's make sure that she leaves within 48 hours. Because, there is only so much of that woman that I can take."

Caroline grinned, abruptly pulling Rebekah into a tight hug as she happily agreed. "Okay, I promise. 48 hours will be maximum for mama Mikaelson."

* * *

"Alright, let's get star-." The opening of the door to a conference room that overlooked most of the city below them, stopped Stefan mid sentence as he looked over to see Sarah waving at him and excitedly screaming "Uncle Stefan!" the minute that both her and Klaus walked in.

Klaus could feel his heart racing as he glanced over at Stefan who looked less than amused that Klaus's young 6 year old was joining in on their very important meeting in regards to Dasell's.

"Hi sweetheart!" Stefan exclaimed, bending down and scooping Sarah into his arms as he glanced over at Klaus with a completely stunned look on his face. Stefan stroked Sarah's cheek with his finger, smiling at her and adjusting her in his arms. "Honey, how about you sit right next to uncle Damon for a moment and I'm going to talk to your daddy. How's that sound?"

Sarah stood straight on her foot, pulling down her turquoise dress and adjusting her silver necklace as she looked around the large table and frowned. "Daddy said this was a party, where's the cake? All you guys have are healthy looking donuts and not chocolately muffin things." She observed.

Damon who was drinking a glass of water nearly choked on his drink as he coughed out a breath and looked across the room at the little blonde and blued girl. "Um, Katherine, Elijah you two care to explain to Sarah here why we don't have any cake?"

"Sarah, sweetie. It's too early for cake." Elijah replied, watching Katherine shake her head as Stefan and Klaus stepped out of the room.

"What's your daughter doing here?" Stefan asked him with an unpleased look as Klaus sighed. "Caroline dropped her off."

Stefan ran his fingers through his hair, locking his eyes on to Klaus. "Well, tell your wife to come and pick her up." He replied.

Klaus bit down on his lower lip, crossing his arms. "It's not that simple. She and Rebekah are talking about stuff, fixing things and she didn't want Sarah there. Also, she couldn't find her a sitter. So, she dropped her off with me for the day." Klaus shrugged, hoping that Stefan would understand and just let Sarah stay. Because, the last thing that Klaus wanted was to have to call Caroline and tell her to come and pick their daughter up.

Stefan frustratingly pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. "Fine, she can stay. As long as she stays reoccupied and doesn't disrupt this meeting. It's very important, Klaus. This meeting is very important." Stefan declared, turning back towards the door and opening it widely just as they both heard Sarah announce. "Uncle Elijah, why is auntie Katherine sitting next to someone that she looks lots alike?"

Damon laughed, causing both Katherine and Elena to look at each other as Elena smiled and replied. " My name is Elena. And, your auntie Katherine and I are sisters."

Sarah scratched her head, looking a little thrown off by the new information that she had just learned. "Oh, so do you both give kisses to uncle Stefan. Like, does uncle Stefan give kisses faces to you both?"

The room went dead silent. Damon and Klaus the only two finding Sarah's question funny as Elena felt her cheeks turn red and Katherine bowed her head down, completely mortified.

"Sweetheart," Katherine paused. She had been in Sarah's life since the little girl was just a newborn. So, most of the time. Katherine knew how to handle most of the little girl's silly questions. However, this one threw her for a loop.

"Sweetie, Your uncle Stefan is too busy to make kissy faces at anyone." Katherine rattled on, hoping that she would drop the subject when she suddenly nudged Elena under the table. "Sarah, how about you and uncle Stefan go and get another one your juice boxes from your daddy's office and then we can start." She replied, glancing over at Stefan who looked as if he was having one of the worst days of his life.

"I'm not thirsty though. But, I do want to sit down again." She declared, taking a seat in the middle of her dad and Damon who was smiling from ear to ear, mouthing to Klaus that this was the best board meeting ever.

"Okay, let's all begin." Stefan announced, standing in front of the large projected screen behind him as he looked around the room and noticed that Sarah was raising her hand up high, grinning at him.

"Yes, Little miss Sarah Mikaelson?" He asked, watching her face light up when he called her that, because it made her feel special.

"Uncle Stefan," She began to say, taking a bite out of one of the muffins on the table and wiping her face with a napkin before she loudly disclosed . "Why can't we have lollipops and chocolate for breakfast at this party? These muffins are gross!"

* * *

**A/N: So, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. But, I feel like it needed to happen like that. Anyways, hope you all liked it. Also, I really don't know why I didn't add more of Sarah into this story..She's such a great little kid- providing some much needed funny moments.**

**Please, if any of you have any suggestions for more things you'd like to see happen, leave a review and let me know. I love playing off of ideas that my readers give me and I love reading the reviews you all leave on here. They do make me happy. :)**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	37. Chapter Thirty Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: You all are so great! Thank you guys for favoriting, following and reviewing/ giving suggestions as to what you all want to see. I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my awesome twitter buddy JRdrgzXO for being a good friend, I added some Stelena cuteness in this chapter for you! :)  
**

**Enjoy & Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty-Six**

Stefan closed his eyes tightly and when he finally opened them he was staring straight ahead at Sarah's father. "Sarah, it's because muffins are kind of healthy." Stefan pointed out, hoping that the little girl would just drop the subject and go back to eating.

"No, they're not. My momma says that muffins are sugar and sugar is bad for you." She smiled sweetly, her blue eyes glistening as Stefan sighed out a breath. The meeting had to go off without a problem and so far, the meeting kept running into issues.

Elena could see that Stefan was getting irritated so she nudged Katherine under the table with her foot again, leaning into her and whispering for them to go walk the little girl around the building for a bit until she got tired.

"Why don't you do it." Katherine commented, glancing over at her sister and at Sarah who was surely working on a pretty big sugar rush.

"Because, she feels more comfortable around you." Elena argued quietly, moving her face away from Katherine as she looked up to see Stefan with a clicker in his hands, starting the presentation about Dasells that he had been working on just days before.

"Fine, I'll come with you." Katherine stated sharply, pushing away from the table that they were seated at and motioning to Elena and Sarah to come with her. "Where are you three going?" Stefan asked loudly, forcing all three of them to freeze in place.

"Taking the little munchkin off your hands for a bit. Relax, we'll be back when you need us. I'm not going to run, Stefan. I don't want to go to jail." Katherine explained, pointing down to her ankle monitor and following Elena out of the room.

Sarah excitedly grabbed Katherine's hand, wearily looking at Elena. "Who is she?" Sarah whispered as Katherine bent down when she felt the little blonde girl tugging at her black cocktail dress that she was wearing.

Elena watched from a distance as Katherine bent down to be eye level with her. The little girl was in awe of the white pearls around Katherine's neck and her long brown curled hair. "Sweetie, Elena is my twin sister. And, you'd like her if you just got to know her." Katherine told her honestly, watching Sarah lean forward when she whispered into her ear. "But, I love you more, auntie Katherine. And, I don't get to see you lots. I missed you."

Katherine hugged her tightly. She loved Sarah, even if her and Caroline weren't on good terms at the moment. The love she had for Sarah would never change and she missed her too. "I love you too and I've missed you lots too." She told her, kissing the top of Sarah's head as she lifted the little girl into her arms and walked towards Elena.

"You have a pretty smile." Sarah commented with a shy giggle as she turned away from Elena and buried her face into the curve of Katherine's neck. "Auntie Katherine, why doesn't momma let you come visit anymore?" Sarah asked with a sad look in her blue eyes. She hadn't really thought about it, the fight between Katherine and Caroline had caused a large rift between them. Yet, she never thought that it would have affected Sarah as much as it clearly did.

She inhaled deeply, glancing over at Elena who was leaning against a wall in the hallway, discreetly looking over at the two of them.

"Your momma and I have some things to work out before I can come and visit you again." Katherine told her sorrowfully, looking over at Elena and sighing out a breath.

Sarah nodded, watching Katherine stand back up straight and take a hold of her hand, pursing her lips together. "There's a little park beside the building that we can take her to. We can talk some more there." Katherine suggested, watching as she nodded and softly replied. "Sure."

* * *

Elena hesitantly watched Katherine sit down beside her, sighing loudly before she began to speak. "You know, I don't want to sound like a broken record. But, seeing you in that board room this morning made me feel a little bit better. The last time Stefan and I spoke, we weren't really on the best of terms and to be honest, I didn't want to face him alone. So, knowing that you were going to be there too made being in that room easier." Katherine admitted, looking out at Sarah who was sliding down the kiddy slide with her hands up in the air, giggling the whole time.

Elena stayed silent for a while. She wasn't really sure of what to say or what to do. So, instead she just sat there, taking in her sister's words. So many questions ran through her head and so many of them still to be answered. "When we talked the other day, you told me that if I had any questions about you that I should ask you first..." Her voice trailed off as Katherine turned towards her, nodding.

"Yeah, I did. And, I meant that Elena. I don't want any more misinterpretations between us. I want this to be a clean slate because as much as you might not think that I don't want you in my life. I do." Katherine replied, feeling Elena's hand rest against her arm.

"I want us to start over too. Katherine, we need to start over if we want to have any sort of relationship. I mean, we're sisters after all." Elena pointed out, laughing a little to herself as she heard Katherine do the same.

"Who would have ever imagined that I'd have a twin sister. This whole time, I thought that I was an only child!" She exclaimed, running her hands through her hair and keeping a close eye on Sarah who had now found a swing set to play on.

"Our mom and dad felt so bad after sending me to boarding school that during my college days. They paid for nearly my whole education without blinking. It was their way of buying my love because they felt like that's what I needed. So, when I met Stefan and brought him home to meet our parents, they were telling me that they knew being at that school would bring me good things." She told Elena, spinning her hair and closing her eyes.

"So, when was it that you met Elijah? I mean, when did you-." Katherine cut her off with a wave of her hand. "I met him during a business meeting. He was introduced into the company as one of Stefan's right hand men. And, we hit it off instantly. Months went by, a year even before we started to actually develop feelings for each other, or at least until we admitted them to each other. But, I knew I loved him the moment he kissed me for the first time. Elena, life never works out the way you plan it to be. And, we never expect to fall in love with the people that we know we can't have. However, it happens."

Elena could hear Katherine's long nails tapping against the back of the bench that they sat on. "So, when did Stefan realize that you weren't me?" She asked her, watching as Elena blushed a little.

She paused, trying to figure out what to say. "I'm sure there were subtle hints throughout the last year. He never really said it. Honestly, I freaked out and eventually told them both." She remembered, looking away from her sister and back to Sarah who was slowly walking towards them, breathing a little heavily from playing so much.

"Do you love him, Elena?" Katherine suddenly questioned, making Elena feel a bit caught off guard by her question. Yet, without hesitating she answered. "Yes, I do love him a lot." She replied. Katherine locked her brown eyes on to Elena's as she stated. "Then, do everything you can to make him happy because he deserves it. And, so do you. He loves you, Elena. I know that now, he loves you way more than he ever loved me. And to be honest, he needs someone like you in his life. Someone who brings in the good."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, getting up and looking out towards Dasell's to see Elijah in his black suit and red tie walking towards them, taking small strides.

"And, you should do the same with Elijah. Because, you're right. He deserves to be happy too and he's clearly happy with you." She replied, pivoting away from Katherine and towards Sarah who was walking to her.

"Hey kiddo, how about I take you back upstairs to see your dad. While, auntie Katherine and Uncle Elijah have a little chat?" Elena asked Sarah who was tugging at her hot pink sweat shirt, a lopsided smile spreading across her face.

"Okay. But, can I stop at daddy's office before we go back to the party?" She asked. Elena locked her brown eyes on her, firmly pressing her lips into a straight line.

"Um, honey. I don't know.." She began to say. But, the persistence in Sarah's voice slowly made her change her mind. "Please, Elena! I made something for uncle Stefan and I wanted to give it to him! Pleaseee, can we go so that I can get it?" She begged.

Elena smiled, the thought of how much Sarah cared about Stefan really was adorable. "Okay, fine." She sighed, grabbing a hold of the little girls hand as they walked back into the building together.

Sarah watched as Elena stole a few glances in her direction once they entered the elevator and went up to the floor in which Klaus's office was on. "So, do you really, really like my uncle Stefan?" She asked her curiously.

Elena's smile grew wide at Sarah's question. Of course she loved him, it was without a doubt and without a question in her mind. Elena loved him. But, when it came to thinking about the long term and their future together, that's what scared her the most. "I do, honey. I love your uncle very much." She replied after a long moment of silence and the ding of the elevator doors were heard, indicating that they were opening up.

"So, if you love uncle Stefan and auntie Katherine loves uncle Stefan. Who does uncle Stefan love?" She questioned, placing her hands on top of her head and shaking it as Elena watched her blonde ringlets brush across her shoulders. Elena laughed a little, feeling Sarah squeeze her hand as they walked down the hallway, towards Klaus's office.

"Honey, your uncle Stefan loves us both in different ways." She told her, swiping the key card that Klaus had given Sarah incase she needed to get into his office and grab something to play with from there.

"Oh! So, does that mean you're both married to him? Because, my mom said that auntie Katherine and uncle Stefan don't wanna be married anymore..Whatever that means." Sarah asked, strolling into her dad's office as she looked around for her coloring book. Elena watched the little girl yank out a sheet of paper that was colored on with blue, grey, red and white colored pencils.

"Actually, not yet. But, maybe someday soon. We'll get married, someday soon." Elena replied quietly, seeing Sarah not even paying attention to her anymore.

"What do you have there?" Elena asked her, hoping that changing the subject from Stefan's love life to something a little more interesting for Sarah would make her forget all about the other questions she wanted to ask Elena.

"It's a drawing. See!" Sarah exclaimed, flipping the paper over to reveal a princess in the picture with a knight that was sitting on what looked like to be a horse, with a large grey castle in the background. Sarah paused as she watched Elena examine the drawing for a minute. "So, is the princess auntie Katherine and the prince is your uncle Stefan?" She asked, watching Sarah nod.

"Yes! Do you think he's gonna like it?" She squealed with excitement, smiling widely as she heard Elena reply. "Yes, sweetie. I'm sure that he's going to love it!"

"Good." Sarah said, clapping her hands together and rolling up the piece of paper, extending out her hand to Elena as she grinned. "I like you." She commented, making Elena smile.

"I like you too." She told her, walking out of the room with Sarah, hand in hand.

* * *

"So, I was thinking that since my divorce is getting finalized and since we haven't had a real official date, ever. That, we should do that." Elijah suggested to her, watching Katherine's smile grow as she shrugged her shoulders back. She loved him, she would do anything for him and the thought of being alone with Elijah for a night sure did sound enticing.

"But, what about my restrictions and my stupid ankle monitor?" Katherine questioned with annoyance in her tone, pointing down at it as she felt Elijah wrap his arms around her, pulling her head against his chest. They stayed like that for a while until he finally spoke, his voice sounding tired and somewhat distant to her own ears.

"I think that we can work around that. Listen," He paused, backing away from her and cupping Katherine's face into his hands. Elijah watched as Katherine closed her eyes to his touch, a lingering smile on her lips.

"I'm listening." She commented softly. The stroking of his fingers against her skin had sent her feelings on overdrive and she couldn't help but want him to keep touching her cheeks.

"We'll go out on to the patio of the house and I'll ask Stefan and everyone else if they can leave us alone for the night. I mean, it won't be that romantic. But, you know what? I'm going to try to make it as romantic as possible." He told her, hearing Katherine sigh out a breath. "Mhmm, sound's nice." She replied, her face still in his hands.

"I love you, Katherine. And, I know that loving you has come with a cost. But, I don't want to give you up, I never do." He said honestly, smiling when her eyes shot open and she locked her gaze on to his.

"I love you too." She replied.

"So, tomorrow night at 7pm. The Salvatore patio with a catered dinner." He winked as he told her the details about their upcoming date.

"Are you sure we're going to get privacy there? I mean, Rebekah still lives there and Caroline acts as if she does. Even though she lives across the street!" Katherine exclaimed, preventing herself from not wanting to roll her eyes at the thought of her two former best friends.

"You're still not speaking with either of them?" Elijah asked with a surprised tone, seeing Katherine nod and cross her arms over her chest.

"No, I'm not and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I can." She replied, hearing Elijah scoff at her words.

"Katherine, we need to move forward and as much as you're trying to do that with your sister. You need to do that with Rebekah and Caroline too." He advised.

"But, I don't know what to say to them anymore. Sorry, just doesn't cut it, Elijah! I screwed up and we grew apart because of me. You don't think that hurts me? Knowing that I lost my two best friends to such stupidity. I had no one there for me, except for my mother when Ethan was born. I had no one, because I thought it was best that none of you knew about my son." She paused for a minute, collecting her thoughts before she began speaking again. "All I wanted was you, my two best friends and as messed up as it sounds, I wanted Stefan there too." She explained, inhaling deeply.

Elijah placed both of his hands on to her bare olive colored skin and bent his knees a bit so that he was eye level with her. "So, apologize to them. Please, Katherine. My sister loves you and so does Caroline. It's just the three of you have been through so much that you haven't even talked about. Rebekah feels like when you left that you did it because you couldn't trust them enough to help you. And, it's the same with Caroline. They felt heartbroken over the fact that you couldn't have just told them what was going on, instead of fleeing the way you did." He explained, hearing Katherine sniffle back tears that had started to pool up in her eyes.

"I was selfish and I was wrong. I shouldn't have left the way I did. But, I didn't know what else to do. It had nothing to do with Rebekah or Caroline, honestly. It was my own guilt and my own personal issues." Katherine told him, feeling his hands slide down her wrists as Elijah grabbed a hold of her hands and smiled gently at her.

"So, tell them that, instead of dancing around the subject like you three always tend to do nowadays. Be honest and open with them. Okay?" Katherine nodded at his suggestion, wrapping her arms around his waistline and pulling him closer to her.

"We should go back inside and help Stefan out." He told her, hearing her agree.

Katherine felt Elijah grab her hand as they walked into Dasell's together and that's when she paused for a moment, glancing up at him with a loving gaze.

"What?" Elijah questioned, hearing her giggle a little bit as she kept her grasp of his hand against her own.

"Do you ever think that we would work out as a married couple?" She asked as he closed the door behind him. Katherine watched his arm being placed over her shoulder as he pulled her into him while they walked. She smiled up at him with a grin, waiting for his reply.

Elijah took a step forward, pressing the elevator buttons and pulling her inside once they shut. Katherine gasped when he firmly pressed her against the cabin and kissed her lips, his hands slipping into her hair. She was breathless when she backed away from him and stunned when he finally stated. "Let's take it a day at a time. But, first I really want you to let me meet your son."

* * *

"I'm sorry that the meeting didn't go as planned." Elena commented, leaning against the door to the conference room as she stepped inside and walked over to Stefan, placing her hands onto his shoulders and massaging his tense muscles. He sighed out a breath, placing one of his hands on to hers and bringing her palm to his mouth. She felt him leave a kiss against it, kissing her wrist too before he let go and turned the chair that he was sitting in around so that she could sit in his lap.

"Come here." He softly said, patting his lap and watching as she slide into it, with ease wrapping her arms around his neck and placing her head on to his shoulder. Stefan watched her legs swing to the right side of the chair. Elena felt Stefan place his hand on to her hip and hold it there for a long time, both of them sitting in silence.

"I missed you today." She told him, glancing up to get a glimpse of his reaction. He was smiling, like he always was when it came to her.

"I missed you too. I'm sorry that I had to drag you and Katherine into the same room. You know, I didn't have a choice in the matter, I had to do it." He told her, hoping that she wasn't pissed off at him when she had walked into the offices earlier and saw her sister sitting at the table.

"It's fine." Elena replied, feeling Stefan shift in his seat as she lifted her head up and locked her eyes on to him. Stefan looked confused for a moment before Elena explained. "The other night, at the house. Katherine and I kind of had a heart to heart about things. And, we're slowly trying to not hate each other so much." She smiled as she told him.

"Most of your conversations involve me, don't they?" Stefan asked her with a smirk, feeling Elena's fingertips grazing against the collar of his grey button up shirt, stopping just before the white knot from the tie around his neck.

"Yeah, sort of. But, you're not all we talk about..." Her voice trailed off as she leaned into him and kissed his soft cheek, smelling the hint of cologne he still had on his neck.

"Too bad. Because, I was thinking that you two were swapping stories about how bad of lover I am." He joked with her, feeling Elena swat at his arm as he yelped out in pain a bit.

"I'm not going to talk about our sex life with my sister! We haven't gotten to that point yet of sharing those things." Elena laughed while telling him knowingly, feeling Stefan's hand inch up further against the dark cream colored sweater dress that Elena was wearing, her bare skin becoming even more exposed as his fingers lifted the fabric up higher.

"Mhmm, you don't think anyone's here. Do you?" He asked her, licking his lips as Elena bite the side of her cheek. He had that look in his eyes, one that she knew all too well and it was making her heart race.

"Stefan! We shouldn't do anything here..." Her protesting words quickly becoming cut off by the feeling of his warm mouth against her neck, kissing her soft skin as she sat in his lap.

"No one's here, Elena. They all went home for the night. It's been a long day anyways and since the meeting was a total flop, we just ended up having a regular work day. It's around 5'o clock right now. Pretty sure they all went home." Stefan explained, trying to reassure her and rid her of her hesitance.

Elena giggled as he lifted her up from his arms and sat her down against the conference room table, the cold feeling of it sending a shiver down her spine. The room was large and encased in glass windows nearly all around, except for the wall that separated the rooms. The fading city skyline shined in as Elena leaned her head back and allowed Stefan to kiss her neck some more.

"We should really get home and do this in private." She told him in between trying to stifle a laugh.

"I disagree, this is a lot more fun." He smirked, pulled her closer as he felt her wrap her legs around his pelvis and heard one of her high heels fall to the ground behind them.

Elena sighed out a breath, capturing his lips against her own while she cupped his face in between her hands. "This is really bad of us." She told him breathlessly. Stefan brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes, kissing the tip of her nose and then each eyelid, before settling on kissing her lips once again.

"Eh, I've done worse." She heard him say as she felt his hands being brought back to her hips and the heavy fabric to her sweater dress slowly lifting up again.

"Besides, I own this place. It's not like I'm an employee you're about to have your way with." He smiled, lifting up her chin as her hands slide off of the third button to his dress shirt that she was trying to undo.

"True." Elena replied simply, running her pink manicured nails over his gelled hair as she saw his eyes close to her touch. Stefan stood in between her legs, his hands still resting against her hips as he watched Elena's eyes flutter shut while his fingertips made small circles against her bare thighs.

"I take it that you've never done this before, in an office? Should I walk you through the steps?" Stefan asked with a seductive tone as Elena laughed, slipping her hands back against his chest and undoing more buttons of his shirt.

"I'd love that." She mused, leaning into him and capturing her lips against his own into a heated kiss that caused Stefan to groan against her mouth the moment that Elena pulled him closer. But, just as Elena began working on taking more of his clothing off, the door swung open and they both froze at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Oh god! I am so sorry!" Damon exclaimed, shielding his eyes from Stefan who had backed away from Elena, his shirt half way open and her dress hiked up to where Damon could almost see her red underwear that she wore. Stefan glanced over at Elena as she jumped off the table in embarrassment, clearing her throat.

"Damon! What are you doing here?" She asked him, scratching her head and looking down at the floor. She didn't want to look in him the eyes and from the looks of it, Damon didn't want to do that either.

"I forgot my cell phone. At least, I thought that I forgot it in here." He smirked, waving his hand and bending down on to the ground. "Ah! Here it is." He commented, pulling himself up and placing his phone into his pocket as he found it near a chair. Elena glanced up to see Damon patting Stefan on the shoulder before he left, turning back to them both as Stefan closed his eyes and Elena finally caught his blue eyed gaze. "You two should lock the door before you decide to go any further. Just a tip. But, other than that feel free to carry on." Damon winked, walking out without another word.

"What just happened?" Elena asked Stefan, biting down on her lower lip nervously.

"I think my brother just told us to keep trying to have sex." He joked, feeling Elena hit his arm a little bit.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked with a gleaming smile, standing in front of her as she sighed, leaning her head against his bare chest.

"It was for not listening to me when I told you that this was a bad idea!" She exclaimed, huffing out a breath and wrapping her arms around him.

"We should have just had dinner and a movie." Elena added in, hearing Stefan laugh as he placed his chin on top of her head, kissing her hair before he spoke. "We still can, while we're here." He replied.

Stefan watched Elena lift her head up from him, giving him a confused look. "Stefan, don't tell me that you have a theater in here." She replied, feeling him tightly embrace her as he sighed.

"Not exactly. There's this old black and white movie player in the storage area where we keep most of the antiques, down stairs and we could go watch an old black and white movie. There's a comfortable couch there and all we'd have to do is order pizza or something." He suggested.

Elena kissed the spot of his chest where she had rested her cheek for a moment before she smiled. Being alone in a darkened room without being interrupted was something that Elena craved since lately. their time together kept getting interrupted. "Sounds romantic." She told him as she stepped away from him and he grabbed a hold of her hand, nodding.

"I was hoping that you'd say that." He winked, tightening his grip around her hand and walking down the hallway with her. "You pick the movie and I'll call up the pizza place." He told her as she smiled at him.

"Okay." Elena replied simply, intertwining their fingers together as they made their way down to the floor below them, watching Stefan call one of his favorite pizza places as they walked down stairs.

* * *

"The only movie we have is Casablanca." Stefan commented when they finally made it into the room, after waiting for the pizza to arrive at the lobby. He was setting up the antique movie player as Elena sat down on the dusty white colored couch in the corner, against a wall.

"That's fine." She told him, patting the seat beside her as Stefan placed a dark green colored blanket on the couch, covering her up with it. Elena watched him place the hot pizza on the small coffee table in front of them. The room was dark with two small lamps illuminating light from them. Although, everything was fairly cleaned and not as dusty as Stefan had thought since all it was ever only used for a storage area.

Stefan smiled at her, watching as Elena leaned forward and grabbed a piece of cheese pizza in her hands, taking a bite from it. He laughed, seeing her put the rest of it down on a napkin.

"What?" She asked him with a wide grin.

"You got a little sauce on your chin." He replied, leaning forward and moving his thumb across it, licking his finger as Elena giggled at him.

"It's good and I'm hungry." She said, watching Stefan open the pizza box back up and take a piece for himself. Elena saw him take a bite, the red sauce dripping down on to his dress shirt, hearing him grumble out a curse word.

"Looks like you a need a baby bibs." She teased, leaning her head against him as she watched Stefan's sauce covered hands press against her cheek, leaving sauce against her skin. Elena gasped, noticing that the movie had already started playing.

"That wasn't very nice!" She exclaimed, jumping up off the couch and crossing her arms over her chest, the streak of pizza sauce still on her cheek.

"Let me take it off." He smirked, opening his arms up to her and watching her shake her head.

"No! I'll do it." She stated, taking a napkin off of the table and wiping the sauce off. Stefan laughed as Elena sat back down beside him, making sure that she was sitting a little further away.

"Come on, baby. I won't do it again." He promised. Elena shook her head and crossed her arms, leaning towards the table and glancing over at him.

"I don't trust you." She replied with a smile, seeing his green eyes gleaming at her.

"Here, look. I'll be good, I promise." He vowed, wiping his hands and lifting them up in the air.

"Keep your hands to yourself." Elena warned, hearing him laugh as he suddenly pulled her close, kissing her cheek and whispering against her ear before she could back away from him. "You know that I've always had a hard time doing that when it comes to you."

Elena rolled her eyes, turning her head to lock her brown gaze on to him. "I know you do. But, Stefan we're trying to have a normal date here without you trying to take my clothes off."

Stefan chuckled. "Well, that's not a very fun date, now is it?" He asked her, his warm breath hovering over her ear as he leaned down and kissed her neck, sucking on the skin and hearing Elena sigh out a meaningless warning. "Stefan, I'm warning you."

"And, I'm telling you. It's not possible." He taunted, his mouth and lips working their way down to Elena's shoulder as she leaned into him more.

"This was supposed to be a normal date, with movie watching and a little bit of kissing." She sighed, closing her eyes at the feeling of his fingertips grazing against her shoulder, sliding her bra strap that was showing down as he continued to work his mouth against her collar bone.

"Well, it is a normal date. We are watching a movie and I am kissing you." He told her with a beaming smirk.

Elena pulled back for a moment, glancing at him. "Stefan, we're not even paying attention to the movie." She said.

Stefan moved his hand so that it was against Elena's back, his fingers slowly undoing the buttons to her dress. "Well, I blame you for that."

He watched her brown eyes grow wide as she stared at him for a moment. "Me? What did I do?"

"You lured me in here, in this dark room while you're looking all good in this dress. It's very hard for me to focus on anything else. But, you." He concluded with a flirty tone as Elena laughed, shaking her head and pulling him towards her, even if she was reluctant about doing anything with him at the moment. She too had a hard time saying no to him.

"Oh, Mr. Salvatore. You're a bad flirt." She whispered against his ear before kissing his cheek and working her fingers back up to the front of his shirt.

"And, you. Miss Gilbert are a beautiful woman who's lucky enough to have me all to herself." He softly said, hovering over Elena as he leaned down and kissed her lips, running his fingers through her hair while she laid down against the couch and glanced up at him, running her thumb against the exposed skin of his shoulder where Matt at shot him.

"I am. I really am lucky to have you." Elena remarked, leaning up towards him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his body weight on top of hers. The feeling of his hand against her thigh causing Elena to close her eyes and let out a heavy breath, losing herself in his touch and the kisses he was leaving against her skin as she heard him say. "I think you should marry me, Elena."

Elena pulled back for a moment, placing her hand against his chest and forcing his eyes to lock on to hers when she simply uttered out. "No."

Stefan's eyes were filled with confusion as he brushed the tip of his finger against her cheek, smiling at her worriedly. "Why not?"

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, biting down on her lower lip as she lifted up her head and kissed him before she stated. "Because I love the way we are now. And, getting married might ruin that."

* * *

"So, how was she today?" Caroline asked Klaus the minute he stepped inside of their townhouse, taking a hold of his hand while he grumbled under his breath about how bad the traffic on their way home was.

"Stefan needs to reschedule the meeting. But, it's not because of Sarah." He chuckled, remembering the look on Stefan's face when he and Sarah stepped into his office.

"Oh, god." She gasped, wiping her hands off of a kitchen towel and walking slowly over to their daughter who had her head sleepily slumped over her dad's shoulder. "Ready to go to sleep munchkin? Sounds like you had a very long day today." Caroline commented with a laugh, feeling Klaus's hand against her back, stroking her shirt with his finger tips.

"Yeah, but I still didn't get any chocolate." Sarah complained as she yawned and heard her parents both laugh.

"I'll will buy you some tomorrow." Klaus promised, kissing her head as he wished her a goodnight and watched Caroline carry her into her bedroom.

Klaus walked into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge as he heard Caroline walk back into the room a few minutes later, sighing out a breath.

"She had a lot of fun with you today." Caroline commented, watching Klaus stop attempting to uncork the wine as he grinned. "I had a lot of fun with her today too."

"So, how'd things go with my sister?" Klaus asked Caroline as she tapped her fingers against the counter top in their kitchen, sighing.

"It went good. We still have a lot of things to talk about. But, she asked me to call your mother into town and I said that I would." She told him, watching her husband's eyes narrow at the wine bottle in front of him.

"My mother's in London, Caroline. She's on this mid life crisis cruise trip. I highly doubt that she'll drop everything for my sister. She's just not that kind of mother." He said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be nice to have Esther back in the states for her daughter's baby shower and the birth of her second grandchild. Also, I'm sure Sarah would love to see her grandmother again. It's been a long time. You haven't seen your mother since your dad died, a few days after Sarah was born." Caroline said in a saddened tone, hearing Klaus exhale loudly. He loved his mother, but having her around his family and friends for more than what he assumed would be a few weeks, would surely stir up some unwanted issues.

"Yeah, it would be nice." He replied softly, waving Caroline over as he poured her a glass of wine, handing it to her.

"You know what else is nice though?" He questioned as she glanced over at him.

"What?" Caroline smiled, taking a step towards Klaus and leaning into his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around his wife.

"Peace and quiet, Caroline. And, surely once mother comes into town. We won't have very much of that at all." He told her, kissing her cheek as she laughed at how silly he sounded.

"It'll be fine, Klaus. We just need to keep her entertained. Esther isn't that bad." Caroline grinned, reassuring him the best she knew that she had it handled. Because if there was anything that Caroline Mikaelson was good at, it was making parties and trying to keep everyone around her happy and in good spirits.

"So, you'll handle it?" He asked as she turned his face to kiss his lips. She kissed him quickly, wiping away her red lipstick and smiling as she nodded with complete reassurance in her tone. "Of course I will. If I can handle the snobby people of Chicago during all those events we've thrown in the past, your mother is going to be a piece of cake."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, things are about to get interesting with Mama Mikaelson coming into town! ;)**

**Please feel free to follow me for updates or to chat about my stories at: BePassionate_24**

**Also, I love hearing your thoughts and getting feedback/ suggestions for what you all want to see happen. So,please leave a review!**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	38. Chapter Thirty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Seriously you guys are SO AWESOME! Thank you so much for reading and wanting me to keep writing this story. :)**

**Anyways, things do get pretty M rated between Stefan & Elena in the start of the chapter. So, if that sort of stuff makes you uneasy- feel free to skip ahead.**

**Other than that, Enjoy!**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty-Seven**

They had returned home from Dasells by the persistence of Elena and how tired she was. Stefan watched from the bedroom door as she slipped out of her high heels, tossing them aside and laying down on the bed. She heard him laugh a little, glancing up to see him loosen his tie and shrug off his suit jacket.

"So, today was interesting." He commented, laying down beside her as he turned towards her, pulling the tie from around his neck and throwing it on to the floor.

"Yeah, Katherine and I actually got along today." She smiled, taking his hand into her own and tightened her fingers around his.

"Elena." Stefan began to say, his voice faltering just a little as he watched her place her hand underneath her head, turning to face him. "Yeah?" She replied, staring at him directly.

"Why won't you marry me?" He asked again, his facial expression was serious and yet his green eyes were smiling at her as she turned on her back, sighing out a breath and placing her hands on to her stomach.

"Stefan, I told you already how I feel about that." She replied, glancing up at the ceiling and not wanting to look over at him, to see the hurt in his eyes.

"You said that you like the way we are now. But, sweetie. We can be better together if we're married. Hell, we'll be happy all the time." He smirked, hearing her laugh as she shook her head. "You'll be happy all the time with all the sex we'll be having." She corrected with a wave of her hand.

"And, what will you be?" He asked, trying to stifle a laugh. Elena turned back to face him, her fingertips grazing against the collar of his shirt, inhaling his scent.

"I'll be exhausted." She playfully joked, kissing his cheek as she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her close.

"No, you won't be. We'll take it slow." He said, taking her hand into his own and kissing her wrist as she laid on the bed, the mattress bouncing back as Elena felt Stefan get up and extend out his hand to her.

"How slow?" She asked with a beaming smile and a shake of her head.

"As slow as you want." He whispered, pulling her towards his chest and placing his fingers against the zipper on the dress she was wearing. Elena felt his touch graze against her bare back as Stefan unzipped the dress, his smile growing when she wrapped her arms around him, falling back against the bed with a laugh.

Stefan straddled her lap, his legs spread out on each side of Elena's hips, pinning her down against the bed. He watched as she looked up at him with a hazy look in her eyes. "How slow?" She asked again, taunting him.

"Very. Slowly." He replied, tugging down her dress as her hands raked through his hair and she could feel the fabric of the material of it slide down her thighs. Elena felt him lean down to leave a tender kiss against her bare shoulder. Pulling him down closer as her foot rubbed up and down his calves.

Her eyes were watery, a sweet smile appearing across her lips as she brushed her thumb against his bottom lip when she felt his body weight down against hers, rolling them over just before she was about to kiss him. The dress was somewhere on the floor by now, he know that because when he opened his eyes, all Stefan was able to see was Elena in the same position he had been. Although, her hands were pressed flatly against his chest as she rolled her hips against him and all she was wearing was her lingerie. Stefan's shaky hands lifted up when he placed them on to Elena's hips. Her smile grew as he spoke her name and she undid the zipper to his pants, slowly caressing his groin and hearing him inhale sharply at her touch.

"You'll be the death of me." He uttered out in between clenched teeth, his hands placed against her velvet feeling red underwear. His breathing was becoming heavy and his eyes filling with lust when Elena leaned down and began undoing the buttons to his shirt, agonizingly racking her long red colored fingernails against his already sweating and warm chest that was just a bit exposed. Elena could feel his heart beating rapidly against his rib cage. Causing her to smirk as she bent her head down and kissed his chest, leaving open mouthed kisses against his flesh, scrapping her teeth over his upper body.

Stefan swallowed hard, still holding her in place against his pelvis and feeling his own body trembling from anxiously anticipating her next move. "You know, marrying you might be fun. We could do this all the time, everywhere." She said, working her mouth back up to his and saying the last of her words against his lips, backing away just before he ran his tongue over his mouth, ready to kiss her.

Stefan lifted up his hand, his thumb stroking her skin gently. "We could do it, everywhere. Here. In the empty conference rooms. On my desk at work. Hell, even in the back seat of my 911 Porsche." He said to her with a glistening in his eyes as he brought his face up to meet hers. Their lips just inches apart when Elena stuck out her tongue to lick his bottom lip before pressing her mouth against his. The kiss was slow, his tongue massaging hers and causing her to loosen her grasp around his shirt as Elena's hands slide back down to his pants. Stefan could feel her trembling fingers undo the button of suit pants.

"I love you." He breathed out with a breathless tone, pulling back to lock his eyes on to Elena's as she noticed that the lights in the room where still on.

"We should turn off the lights." Elena suggested, nervously, looking around the room before she focused back in on Stefan who was laying against the bed, his eyes hazy and his smile growing.

"No, I like being able to see your face." He protested. Elena stopped her movements, the only thing that was moving were her fingers that were undoing the last few buttons of Stefan's shirt. He felt the cool air around them mix with the feeling of it hitting against his already heated flesh as she began gliding his dress shirt down his shoulders and arms. Her legs, gripping against his pelvis while still straddling his lap.

"My face? Stefan, you see me all the time." Elena retorted with a laugh, shaking her head as the tips of her long brown hair brushed against his chest. Stefan cupped one of his hands against her right cheek, leaning in and kissing her lips sweetly before leaning back. "Not like this." He argued.

Elena laughed, biting down on her lower lip. "Like what?" She asked with a flirtatious glance. Elena watched as Stefan lowered himself back down against the bed, his hands stroking up and down her arms until his fingers danced across the skin of her back, lowering the straps of her bra.

"Glowing, beautiful and happy." He replied, feeling her lower her body down against him while she pressed a soft kiss against his left shoulder, making a small circle against it.

"I'm scared, Stefan." Elena admitted with a sudden truthful tone, her eyes lowering to the way his chest was rising and falling with every breath that he took. She could feel his hands resting against her thighs as his fingers moved up and down her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Scared of what?" He asked, clearing his throat and giving her a worried look.

"I'm scared that if we get married that I'm not going to be a good enough wife, eventually a good enough mom and that-." His index finger pressed against her lips made Elena stop talking as she watched him pull her down against him so that her head was pressed firmly against his chest.

"I know you're scared. But, I swear to you that I'm going to be with you every step of the way. Elena, I don't want to miss out on not being with you. I love you. I know I say it a lot and that it might seem just like such a natural thing now. But, I want you to know that being with you, falling in love with you and having you in my life has been the best thing that has ever happened to me and I will never regret choosing you." He vowed, lifting up her hand as she felt him press his lips against it.

"I know that you don't want to marry me yet. That you're scared and that you're unsure about our future. Because, it's not going to be easy, nothing ever is. But, I will fight for you every day as long as you promise to do the same for me. Because, I need you. Elena, you saw the good in me when everyone else was about to give up." Stefan added in, running his hand gently over the length of her arm that was resting against his chest. Stefan smiled when he heard Elena sigh out a breath.

He kissed her forehead gently, silence falling upon the room for a few minutes as they laid on the bed together. "I need you too." She replied softly in between a yawn, moving her face so that it was just inches against his as Stefan turned his head to look at her. Elena leaned forward, capturing his lips against her own in a slow burning kiss that made Stefan pull her closer, his hands roaming down her body again.

She giggled when he kissed her neck, making her back arch forward so that their chests were pressed against each other's. "I'll never regret staying. Stefan, I know that I made the right choice when I decided to stay and get to know you. Because, you're everything that I have ever wanted." Elena replied in a low and raspy voice, closing her eyes as she felt his lips moving in between her breast bone while his hands removed her bra and began working on her underwear. Elena's legs tangled up in the white sheets of the bed as she squirmed out from under him and wrapped the white sheet around her naked body. Stefan backed away for a moment, trying to reach out to her. But, she was too quick, already off the bed with the sheet wrapped around her.

"You're leaving me lusting after you? That's not very nice." Stefan frowned, seeing Elena expose a little of her leg to him as she watched him climb off the bed too, licking his lips and undoing his pants that left him in a pair of black Calvin Klein boxers.

" I just remembered that we have an indoor hot tub that we never use. Care to join me?" She grinned, running out of the room as the white bed sheet dragged behind her.

"The hot tub? Elena, hold on!" Stefan shouted after her, grumbling under his breath as he chased down the hallway after her, watching Elena disappear into the room that lead into the indoor pool and hot tub area that Stefan had asked the construction workers to make when he was designing the house.

"Over here, the water is nice and hot." She waved him over, looking across the large room as she turned on the water jets and he watched the white sheet fall down her body. "Oh damn it." Stefan muttered out cursing himself under his breath at the feeling of adrenaline and arousal he felt all over his tensed muscles as she stood naked in front of him before stepping into the heated tub.

"Nice and hot? Just how I like it." Stefan replied as he walked over to her, stepping into the water with his boxers on while he heard Elena snicker.

"What?" He asked, slicking his hair back with his hand as he sat down on the bench, spreading out his legs just a little.

"Nothing. It's just that this is going to break all sorts of health rules. But, thank god that it's not a public pool." She replied, moving over to him as he spread his legs out even more and she straddled his lap again, leaning in to leave a tantalizing kiss against his lips. Stefan groaned as he leaned back and felt her hands moving across his chest, smiling while her mouth and tongue sucked and nipped at his skin.

"I don't care." He replied firmly, seeing Elena's face light up as she placed her hands down back into the water and helped him slide out of his boxers.

"Elena.." Stefan's voice broke when she ran her hand over his penis and she placed her feet flatly on the bench, seeing his arms outstretched and resting against the edge of the tub while she stroked his groin with her hand, making his eyes flutter close. Elena inhaled sharply when she placed her hands on to his shoulders and slowly positioned herself down against him, the pressure of the water hitting her back rapidly while the pressure of how intimate they were getting, rose inside of her body as well. Elena exhaled heavily, as she slowly felt Stefan's pelvis thrust forward. Her eyes widened, she bit down on her lower lip and tried stifling a moan that was threatening to escape past her vocal cords. However, Elena couldn't help it as the near growl left her lips and her sensitive muscles tightened around his entrance.

Her shaky breathing filled his ears as Stefan placed his hands on to her back and they slide down into the water, pressing herself deeper against his already risen erection. Stefan leaned forward, kissing her neck and working his mouth down to her breasts. She could feel his tongue flicking her hardened nipples. He watched her eyes tightly close, her mouth purse together from the heat and desire that they both felt. Elena opened her eyes again, the moment she felt Stefan's thumb graze against her heated flesh, her hair swaying against her back while she leaned forward sinking against him deeper and much slower than before, building up to what she knew was going to be a ripple effect of emotions. "Stefan" She stuttered out his name breathlessly, feeling his hands holding her hips in place as he moved his legs to be wrapped around her tightly and his pelvic thrusts met her own in the water.

He could hear her breathing pick up, his voice was raspy as he spoke against her ear, telling her how much he loved her as they continued to set a torturous slow pace between them that caused both of their bodies to pulsate against each others as they held one another close. Stefan rolled his hips forward, the heated water splashing as he held on to Elena tightly and moved this body even closer to her, molding them together without any spaces in between.

"This is very bad of us." He stammered out in between a breath as he felt Elena tighten herself around his entrance and lean forward, whispering against his lips before she kissed him with a fiery passion. "You said you didn't care, Remember?" She joked, brushing her own top lip against his mouth before she captured his upon hers and left a alluring caress on his moist and watery lips, watching the sweat beads drip down from his face when she backed away and wiped them with her thumb. "I love you." She spoke with an honest and pure voice.

He smiled, moving back her matted hair that was already sticking against her cheeks. "I love you too." Stefan said, continuing right where they had left off until they both came together.

* * *

The next morning Elena had awaken to Stefan's side of the bed being empty as she opened her eyes, groaning at how much her body ached. She lifted herself up off of the mattress and swung her legs over to look back at his spot, noticing a medium sized piece of paper laying on his pillow with a red rose where he should have been sleeping. The note addressed to her. Elena smelled the rose, inhaling the scent of it and exhaling deeply before she picked up the note and read it.

_Elena,_

_I went with Klaus to go and do something important. I'll miss you while I'm gone. But, I left you a present on the counter and I made you breakfast. Love you._

_-Stefan._

She dropped the note on to the bed and quickly sighed out a breath, grabbing her phone and texting Stefan.  _I miss you already._  Elena wrote, adding a smiley face as she waited for him to reply back, she slowly got dressed and followed what smelled like the aroma of fresh cinnamon rolls and warm coffee down the stairs and into the kitchen. She licked her lips and sat down on the bar stool across from the sink, smiling to herself as she sighed out a breath and closed her eyes.  _"He loves me. He really loves me."_ She thought to herself, pulling the sleeves of her dark blue shrug up against her shoulder and placing her elbows on to the counter tops. But, just as Elena enjoyed the silence of her time alone and the realization that Stefan surely wasn't going anywhere without her in their lives. A loud knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts.

She ran over to the door as the knocking became excessively annoying and louder. Elena checked her hair and inhaled deeply as she placed her hand on to the door handle, pulling it open. Her brown eyes grew wide when she looked up and down at her visitor. "Thank god you're home!" Katherine exclaimed, pushing past Elena and inhaling through gritted teeth as she spun around on her heel in the middle of her sister's living room.

"Katherine? Do you even know what time it is?" Elena asked, shaking her head and closing the door behind her as she looked up at the clock. It was only a little past 8:30 in the morning.

"What are you doing here!" Elena added in, demanding to know. Katherine ran her fingers through her hair, biting down on her lower lip as she took a deep breath. "Mhhm, I smell cinnamon rolls. Did Stefan make them?" Katherine paused, her gaze shifting from Elena and then back to the kitchen. "Oh hello, you guys had some really good sex last night. That's why you're practically glowing!"

Elena shook her head, crossing her arms over each other and tapped her bare feet against the light colored wood that ran throughout the house. "You could tell that easily?"

"Of course I could, Elena. He used to make cinnamon rolls after we had sex too. Only if it was really good sex though." She paused. "It was like some sort of reward for a job well done, or it could be because after we did the deed that he got some odd excessive sweet tooth." Katherine winked, turning her back towards Elena and walking into the kitchen, taking one of the gooey and frosted covered rolls and shoving it into her mouth while staring at sister with wide brown eyes.

Elena shook her head again, trying to play it off like it wasn't that big of a deal. Katherine heard her laugh as she sat on the couch, facing her sister and watching her pour herself a cup of coffee too. "What are you doing here? Aren't you still on probation for everything you've done?"

Katherine laughed, tilting her head back and placing her hand on to her stomach as Elena rolled her eyes and asked her again. The sudden look of anxiety on Katherine's face grew when she finally announced. " Yes, I am. And, it's been a bitch. But, I have a date with Elijah this evening and I came over to ask you for some advice."

"Me?" Elena asked, pushing herself up from the couch and walking into the kitchen, standing near her sister as she stirred sugar into her black coffee.

"Yes, you. Because, I have no one else. Caroline and Rebekah still haven't forgiven me for being a bitch to them. And, well. You're kind of the only girlfriend I have right now. Aside from the fact that we have a rocky history." She confessed, tapping her fingers against the kitchen counter top.

Elena sighed out a breath. "Don't you have a closest full of expensive clothes and designer shoes that you could pick from. Or, can't you like call a fashion expert to help you pick out an outfit for tonight. Katherine, you do still have millions to your name, right?" Katherine chuckled, shaking her head.

"Elena, the moment I was declared missing. The money began to vanish and so did the staff. Apparently, they stopped getting paid. All of the help, scattered. So, here I am left with all my designer clothes that both Caroline and Rebekah have picked through and claimed as their own. Needless to say, I do have a few dresses left. But, I don't know what to wear and I need your help." Katherine told her, giving her a pleading look.

"Besides, it shouldn't be that hard. Since, you used to wear some of these things while pretending to be me." She added in, licking her lips and fingers with left over frosting on them.

Elena closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and trying to push back all the negative and hostile thoughts that she still had in regards to her twin sister before she decided to reply with. "Fine. Okay, I'll help you pick out a dress. Just, this doesn't make us 'girlfriends' now." She told her, feeling Katherine place her hand on top of Elena's with a beaming smile before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She shouted, registering Elena's words quickly before she smoothed out the shirt she had just crinkled up from embracing her. "Sorry, it's just been a long time since anyone has actually wanted to help me with anything. Including something as simple as going out on a date." Katherine said.

Elena smiled, glancing up at her and softly replying. "It's okay. I get it. I'm glad I can help you with this."

Katherine's beaming and grateful smile never left her lips as she looked up at her sister and said. "Me too, Elena. Me too."

* * *

Sarah sat in her mother's lap as she glanced around the small shop in an awe struck manner. "So many rings and pretty shiny stuff, momma!" She declared, reaching out to touch out one of the rings that the jewelry was looking over.

"It's 14 kart gold, for sure." The older gentlemen remarked, smiling up at both mother and daughter.

"Sarah!" Caroline scolded her, sliding her daughter off her lap and telling her to go by Klaus who was standing next to Stefan and Damon, all three of them in deep conversation.

"All I'm saying is that this place is the best for these sort of things." Klaus said, looking down as he felt his little daughter tug on his red colored sweater, trying her hardest to get his attention.

"Daddy! Dad. Daddy!" Sarah excitedly shouted, stopping and smiling sweetly at her father who stopped mid sentence in replying to something that Damon had said.

"What is it sweetheart?" He asked, locking his blue eyes on to Sarah's.

"I'm bored." She replied, twirling her blonde hair in between her fingers and glancing up at Damon and Stefan. "Uncle Stefan, why are we here with all these pretty shiny things?" She questioned with a toothy grin before pausing and adding. "And, why won't my momma let me play with them?"

Sarah watched Stefan smile at her, ruffling the top of her head with his fingers before he bent down and locked his eyes on to the little girl, explaining. "Honey, these are very expensive rings. It's Tiffany's. And, we're here because I'm going to ask Elena to marry me." He replied with a beaming smile as Sarah tilted her head to the side.

"But, what about auntie Katherine?" She asked. Stefan glanced up to notice that Caroline had finally joined them after having what seemed like a lengthy discussion with the jewelry store manager.

"Well, your aunt Katherine and I still love each other very much. But, we're not married anymore." He tried his best to explain, watching Sarah's face contour with sheer confusion.

"But.." Her voice trailed off, getting interrupted quickly by Caroline.

"Sweetie, how about you and I go get a muffin from the bakery next door? I can get you some hot chocolate too." Caroline quickly offered, seeing her daughter's eyes fill with happiness.

"Okay!" Sarah said, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"He's ready for you. Pick a good one." Caroline winked, not wanting to question Stefan's decision of wanting to marry Elena. Because, she could tell that just by looking at him whenever she had seen them together lately, that he was the happiest that he'd ever been.

"Still not too late to back out of this idea." Damon commented with a laugh, hearing Caroline tell Klaus that she was going to go home with Sarah and briefly stop by Rebekah's to see how she was doing with everything.

"I want to do this, Damon. I know that the divorce isn't exactly finalized yet and that we should wait until it is. But, I don't want to wait to ask her anymore. I want her to know that I love her and that I want her to be mine." Stefan said, brushing past his brother and taking a seat in front of the jeweler who had already taken out a few large sized, expensive diamond engagement rings at the request of Caroline.

"She must be a very special girl. These are the most expensive ones we have." The store manager explained to Stefan, seeing his smile grow as he looked up at Klaus and Damon before replying. "She is. She is an amazing and beautiful girl that I can't wait to call my fiancée."

* * *

"Nope! Too short! Too ugly. Ugh, not at all!" Katherine shouted, throwing a huge pile of dresses behind her as Elena sat on the couch, watching her sister become frustrated. It hadn't taken long for Katherine to turn around and sit on the empty chair beside the pile of dresses, apparently giving up on picking one.

"How about the red one? Red always looks nice." Elena suggested, shrugging her shoulders back and hearing her sister heave out a breath.

"You're lucky, you know." Katherine mused, looking down at her hand and frowning a little bit at where her wedding ring used to be.

Elena smiled, moving a strand of her still damp hair to the side and smirking a little. She was lucky. Elena was lucky to be alive, to be in love with an wonderful man and she was lucky enough to finally have the things that she had wanted. But, she paused for a minute, trying to figure out what Katherine meant.

Katherine must of seen it though, the questionable look in her eyes. Because, it took just a few seconds for her to clarify. "What I meant is that you and Stefan have already done the dating thing. I'm pretty sure by now in his head that he's trying to scope out if you're wife material." She joked.

"No, he's not. We've talked about that. And, I don't want to get married just yet." Elena said in a reluctant tone as Katherine let out a loud laugh.

"Oh honey. A man like that is worth every penny. If you don't snatch him up. I'm sure that there would be tons of other women who love to take him for themselves." Katherine winked, pushing up from the couch as Elena gave her a perplexed look.

"Where are you going now?" She asked, watching Katherine take the pile of dresses and fold them over her arm, texting someone with her other hand.

"I'm going to go get ready for my date tonight. Thanks for the advice, sis. I think the red one is it." Katherine stated as Elena heard the distant honking that was coming from outside.

"Did someone drop you off?" She asked as Katherine rolled her eyes and huffed out a breath.

"My wonderful chauffer, Officer Lexi Branson did." She pointed out, taking a few steps out of the living room and turning back to glance over at Elena once more before opening the front door and leaving like she had entered the house, in a hurry.

"Just think about what I said. He's worth it, Elena. Trust me, Stefan Salvatore is very worth keeping around for the long haul. He's an amazing lover, a wonderful and caring husband. And, one day I think that if you two ever decide to have kids, that he'd be a loving and devoted father. So, it's your choice. But, just think about it. Because, I'm pretty sure that all he wants is for you and him to be happy." She replied, opening the front door and leaving Elena sitting all alone in the living room with her own thoughts and Katherine's words replaying over and over again on a loop in her head.

* * *

Stefan was nervous when he stepped into the house, a few hours after Katherine had left. He walked into the aroma of pasta cooking on the stove and Elena mixing some homemade sauce that she had made, cursing loudly at how hot it was because from the looks of it, she had burnt her finger and her tongue.

He watched as she turned around slowly, her eyes gleaming when their gazes met. "I thought you'd be out all day." She replied, running her finger under the cold water in the sink.

"Yeah, I thought about it. But, I got the things I needed to get done, finished and I came home, to you. Because, that's my favorite part of the day." He stated with a grin, stepping further into the kitchen and standing behind Elena as she continued to run her burnt fingers under the cold water.

"How bad is it?" He asked, pulling her hand out from under the water and taking it into his own touch, examining the burn as he ran his finger over it. He watched Elena shut her eyes, inhaling sharply and squirming in pain.

"Not too bad." She replied, trying to act like it wasn't as painful as it really was. Although, Stefan saw right through her.

"Let me make it better." He told her, lifting up her hand against his lips and kissing her wrist, then each finger. Elena felt Stefan take her burnt finger into his mouth and suck on it gently, removing her finger from his mouth and kissing it tenderly before releasing her hand from his grasp.

She smiled at him, placing her other hand against his cheek and locking her gaze on to his. "I was worried when I couldn't find you beside me in bed this morning. " She revealed, sliding her hand down against his shoulder and keeping it there for a minute.

"I had a few errands to run." He replied, pulling her into his embrace and kissing the tip of her nose.

Elena combed her hands through his hair, leaning forward and intensifying her brown gaze on to his sweet and loving green eyed stare. "Like, what kind of errands?" She asked with a curious tone. She heard Stefan chuckle, taking a step away from her and clearing his throat before he began to speak.

"I know that you're hesitant about being with me in the long run because you're scared. But, I'm not going anywhere, Elena. And, every time I've been meaning to ask you this, it never seems like it's the right time. So, I'm asking you now. Because, right here. Right now. Is where I want to ask you." Stefan paused, taking a step from Elena and grabbing her hands into his own as she watched with an extensive stare as he bent down on one knee in the middle of the kitchen.

"Stefan, what is going on?" She questioned as he laughed, kissing her hands and glancing back up at her, sighing out a breath, interrupting his thoughts. "Let me finish." He said, stroking his fingers against her right wrist.

"I love you. You are the most amazing and beautiful woman that I know. You're strong and courageous. You're everything that I want in my life. And, I think that we're good like this. But, I believe that we could be ever better. Elena Gilbert the offer still stands, if you still want it. The story of our love is only the beginning. And, I want us to write our happy ending. So, I want to know. Elena, will you grow old with me?"

* * *

**A/N: **Next up, Katherine has a very interesting date with Elijah. Jenna, Ethan and Isobel return. Rebekah and Caroline bond over planning the baby shower and Elena finally gives her answer to Stefan. :)****

**So, what did you all think? Loved it? Hated it?**

**Feel free to leave me a review. Because, I love knowing your opnions, thoughts and if any of you have suggestions as to what you want to read.**

**-Until Next Time-**

 


	39. Chapter Thirty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: One month...Oh man, I suck you guys! I am so sorry for keeping you from reading this story for that long. Hopefully some of you are still wanting to read it. Anyways, here's chapter 38 and I promise that I have not forgotten about this story and it surely isn't over. I do have a lot more planned for it. I just haven't had much time to write the longer updates that I want to for this one. So, thanks to those who have been patient with me.  
**

**Enjoy & here is chapter 38! **

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Thirty- Eight**

"Yes." Elena exclaimed without a minute of hesitation. She knew what she wanted and it was him.

"Really?" Stefan asked her, still holding the small box in his hands as Elena watched him stand up straight and get his knee off of the floor, a beaming smile forming across his lips.

"Yes. Stefan, I don't need to think about this anymore. I know that I've been hesitant about marrying you and about how everyone was going to react to the news. But, I shouldn't care anymore. What matters is that I love you, Stefan and I know that you love me. So, why should we wait and put our happiness on hold just because we're afraid of what everyone is going to say." Elena explained, feeling his arm pull her closer as he kissed her forehead, leaning his own against hers and staring straight into her dark brown loving eyes.

"I love you too and you're right. We shouldn't worry anymore." Stefan told her, leaning Elena back and kissing her lips tenderly as he felt her wrap her arms around him, smiling up at him when she broke away. "I can't wait to be married to you." She said honestly, with a bright smile. Elena felt his fingertips glide across her skin, moving a few strands of her hair out of her eyes as he smiled back at her and said. "It's going to be better than you ever imagined."

He lifted her back up so that she was standing straight in front of him, the glistening of the wedding ring that Stefan had placed on Elena's finger shined as she nodded. "I know."

Stefan stopped for a moment, noticing the panicked look in her eyes. He gently grabbed a hold of her face into the palm of hands, stroking his thumbs over her cheeks as he sighed. "We don't need to tell anyone that we're engaged until you feel like it. That is, unless you want to start telling people right away. But, you know...We can keep this low key until then."

She nodded, still staring down at her hand and the 18 kart diamond ring in which had more than without a question cost him a good thousand dollars. She knew that he had spent an arm and a leg for the rock on her hand. But, she didn't say anything because he didn't seemed bothered by it. "What if the media finds out though? You know, what are we going to do?" Elena asked hesitantly as Stefan took a step back, leaning his hands against the counter in the kitchen. Elena noticed that his fingers were curled inward, holding on to the tile as he looked back at her.

"We'll play it off as a rumor and keep them guessing until we decide to make it officially known. Elena, I'm going to make sure that I don't slip up and say anything as long as you don't either. That is, if you don't want them to know." He reassured her, knowing deep down that it was fairly easy to throw him and the ones he loved into the limelight. Which they had all been observed under for the last year.

"We can't lie to them, Stefan. Maybe we should just make a statement together, at Dasells. I mean, it would make sense. Since, I am going to be working there as well. With Katherine and everyone. We're trying to save the company, Stefan." Stefan closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as a small smile lingered across his face, thinking about working with Elena made him feel good. She was going to make a difference in the company, he just knew it.

"Yeah, maybe when we make the announcement that you'll be part of the company as well. Then, we can announce our engagement. It'd be best if the media heard it from the two of us rather than anyone else. Like, one of our friends of family." Stefan concluded, opening his eyes to see Elena standing in front of him. She had her warm hands on each side of his face, a sweet and loving smile was forming on her lips.

"You're right. That would be a better idea." She said, wrapping her arms are him and burying her face into the curve of his neck as Stefan wrapped his arms around her and leaned them back against the kitchen counter.

"Telling the media about our engagement is going to be the easy part. Just wait until we tell our family and friends." Stefan chuckled, already picturing the shock on all their faces when he declared that sure enough, he and Elena were going to be married.

"We need to set a date and talk about venues." Elena reminded him, feeling Stefan's embrace tighten as he leaned his chin against the top of her head and sighed. "One step at a time, darling." He replied.

Elena nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah, one step at a time." She repeated, enjoying the small blissful moment of silence they had to themselves before all the chaos began.

* * *

"Where are we?" Katherine asked, feeling the ice cold breeze blow through her curly hair as she shivered from the wind.

"Our date." Elijah simply replied, removing his hands from Katherine's face as he stepped around her and stood right in front of her with a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"It's a roof top, Elijah." Katherine said flatly, hearing Elijah let out a small laugh, stepping over to what looked like an electrical box. It took him a few minutes to get it set up and once the lights flickered on, Katherine gasped. The large roof top space was lined with bright purple flowers, a fire pit directly in the middle of it and bright lanterns lined made a criss cross pattern overhead. "This looks familiar." Katherine told him, taking a seat on one of the brown couches that could easily seat three people.

Elijah grinned, placing his hands into his pockets as he looked out at the fading downtown Chicago skyline. The sun going down rapidly and leaving a pinkish and purplish color in the sky. "Because it is." He replied, turning back to her just a little as she tucked her legs underneath her and sat on them, glancing up at the tan colored umbrellas that lined each of the 10 tables that were all placed around the roof. Katherine leaned her back into the brown cushions of the wooden patio furniture as she looked around, trying to place her finger on where he had taken her. Then, it all came in back to her.

"You handed me back my wallet here. When I left it at the bar. I was here alone and so were you. I was supposed to be meeting Stefan, who was coming back from his business trip. We had planned on spending the weekended together at the hotel before going home. Instead, I spent the weekend with you. It was the fourth time that we had seen each other. But, it was the first time that we had actually really gotten to know one another. Those four days were part of the best four day weekend of my entire life..." Katherine's voice trailed off as Elijah sat down beside her, readjust his suit jacket as she watched him take it off and slip it over her bare shoulders. Katherine clutched on to it and inhaled his scent, smiling to herself.

"I fell in love with you, that weekend. We hadn't started anything with each other. But, we spent the whole four days staying up and talking until the sun came up, each time. I'd never been able to talk with anyone like that for hours, including Rose. By the time it was time to leave, I didn't want to go back home and I knew that as much as you said you needed to go back too. I was praying that we'd see each other again. Who would have thought that two months later, our next encounter would have been at Dasells during a board meeting of Stefan's." Elijah recalled with a lingering smile on his face as he remembered the time that he had ran into Katherine outside of the conference room and he had embraced her.

"Yeah, then you took me here for dinner by the request of Stefan. Because, he said that I could help integrate you into the company, since I knew so much about antiques. And, on this very rooftop of the Conrad Hotel was the first place where you kissed me." Katherine recalled, leaning her head against Elijah's shoulder as he placed his arm around her and pulled her close.

"I promised you that I'd look after you that night." Elijah told her, lifting up his hand and moving a strand of her hair out of her face, kissing her exposed cheek.

"And, you have." Katherine turned to him, placing his hands into her lap as she secured her eyes on to his. "We've been through so much together and you never once looked at me as if you didn't love me." She said to him, cupping his face into the palm of her hands and stroking her thumbs over his skin.

Elijah cleared his throat, laying back down on the couch as he patted the side beside him. Dinner was running late. But, neither of them seemed to care because all Katherine wanted was a quiet moment with him and now, she was finally getting it. Katherine squeezed close to him as he felt her head rest on to his shoulder and his hand stroked her bare arm. The short red dress that she wore made her legs cold and Elijah laughed as Katherine took his jacket and covered her bare skin up. "So, where do we go from here?" She asked him, gazing up at the night sky which was beginning to fill with stars.

"First, I'm going to kiss." He said, leaning over her and capturing her lips gently against his own. Elijah backed away, his fingers underneath her chin as he smirked. "I love you, Katherine."

Katherine's eyes opened widely as she licked her lips and placed her hand flatly on his cheek. "I love you too." She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat before she began speaking again. "I'm going to see my son tomorrow with Elena and, I was hoping that you could come with us. To meet my mother, my aunt and the best little young man in my life, Ethan." She stated, noticing the glimmer of hope filling Elijah's eyes.

He smiled sweetly, leaning down and kissing her once more before he spoke against her lips. "I'd love to."

* * *

"So, how's this going to go? Are we going to have this at Stefan and Elena's new place?" Rebekah asked Caroline who had come over to help her plan the baby shower for a second day in a row. They hadn't really gotten anywhere yet. But the planning had surely began. Damon, Klaus and Caroline all watched as Rebekah slide down slowly into the chair, placing her hand tenderly on to her round belly.

"I feel like a beached whale!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes and huffing out a breath. It was getting to the most excruciating time in her pregnancy, she was two weeks away from being 7 months pregnant and the thought of seeing her mother while looking as if she swallowed a watermelon was making her head spin and her stomach tighten.

"Mother's going to saw I look swollen." Rebekah remarked, rubbing her face with her hands vigorously as she leaned back into her chair and exhaled deeply. Caroline glanced over at her, not saying anything as Rebekah sharply stared her down. "What?" She snapped.

Caroline shook her head, looking over at Sarah who was sitting in the living room, talking to her dolls and playing house. "You don't look as bad as you think you do. To be honest, I've never seen you look more radiant." Caroline complimented, hearing Rebekah scoff at her words, now placing both of her hands on to her stomach.

"You're just trying to kiss my ass so that Damon and I pay you more money for helping us out." Rebekah told her, looking away from her former best friend.

"I thought we were passed being rude to each other, Rebekah." Caroline quietly reminded as Rebekah lowered her face onto the cooled dining table that they were sitting at. They were trying to get along, Caroline had even told her over and over again that she was helping out with the baby shower from the kindness of her heart and not for any sort of payment. As far as Caroline was concerned, she didn't need any sort of money. Spending time with Rebekah and trying to fix their fractured friendship was a lot better than any money that her or Damon could give her.

"I'm not here for the money, Bexs. I've told you that more than once. I'm here because I know you need help and I love to decorate things. Besides, we want this to be the baby shower that we will all never forget right?" Caroline questioned, a hopeful tone in her voice as she watched Rebekah slowly lift her head, nodding and sighing loudly. "I suppose." She mumbled out.

Klaus glanced over at them and back at Damon who was about to take Sarah outside so they could play hide and go seek together at her request. "Do you think they'll ever be how they were? You know, close like sisters." Klaus asked him, catching Damon off guard as he placed his hand on to the sliding door that was just slightly opened enough for Sarah to run out before him.

He shrugged. He wasn't really sure how to answer that question. There had been so much that had happened between the three of them over the last year. All the betrayal and pain in their friendship and just in between everyone in the group as a whole that it was hard to say if everyone was going to come out unscathed once the dust that still swirled around them with such hurt was settled. "Maybe when we have the baby, Rebekah will realize that she needs Caroline and Katherine in her life more than she thinks she does. She can relate to them the most you know, even if she thinks that right now she can't. Caroline was a young mother when she had Sarah and Katherine was too when she had her son, Ethan."

"Yeah, maybe." Klaus stated, looking back at Rebekah who was smiling just a little at Caroline who was sitting across from her, turning the page of a baby shower decorating magazine. "I just wish that they'd be like they were. Rebekah used to never want to go anywhere without either of them." He recalled, smiling at the thought of his sister being inseparable with her two friends.

"Caroline hasn't gotten that close to anyone in a long time. Since they haven't spoken about everything that happened. My wife's really kept things inside and even though she tells me things. I know that there are a lot of topics that she wishes she could call up Katherine or Rebekah for." Klaus said, brushing past Damon who had now opened the sliding door even wider and was standing on the patio with his hands in his pockets, playfully telling Sarah to go hide somewhere in the backyard.

"Everything takes time, Klaus. And, their friendship isn't an exception. Just look at Katherine and Elena. They've been trying to get along lately. But, you can still notice the tension in their words with just the things they say to each other. But, still they're trying. Katherine is trying to accept her and from what Stefan told me. Elena's trying to do the same thing. They are family after all and no one's family is perfect. And, in the end we all need each other. Maybe, more than some of us are willing to admit." Damon told him, patting his shoulder as Klaus inhaled sharply.

"Yeah." Klaus said quietly, glancing out towards the green and lush backyard that was the Salvatore's inherited second home.

"Rebekah thinks that my mother is in London. But, she came back into town the other night. I just, I haven't told her yet." Klaus confessed, hearing Damon cough out a breath.

"Why not?" He asked, glancing over at Klaus with a curious gaze.

Klaus shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to surprise her. My mother hasn't seen Rebekah since last year and lots has changed since then. With Rebekah and our mother." Klaus told him, smiling as he shook his head the exact moment that Damon looked over at him.

"What's changed about Esther?" He questioned, hearing Klaus whistle out a sigh.

"She got remarried. Our father died five years ago and since then, mother has been going to all these single cruises to meet men. Well, she meet a very nice young man who's around her age and they got married three months ago. She didn't want to tell Rebekah about it because she didn't want to stress my sister out. So, she told her that she'd be coming into town alone." Klaus said, keeping his eyes glued to Sarah as she ran throughout the yard, disappointment on her face that Damon hadn't come to find her.

"Uncle Damon! You're supposed to be playing with me." She stated, placing her hands on to her hips and pursing her lips together. She looked just like Caroline in the moment whenever she was upset about something and it made Damon and her father both laugh.

"Your dad and I are talking about something. I promise, I'll be there in a minute." He told her, noticing her shoulders slump back.

"Is it about Grandma Esther?" She asked, grinning widely as she giggled the moment when they both turned around to see Rebekah leaning against the door frame that lead out into the backyard.

"What about your Grandma Esther, sweetheart?" Rebekah questioned curiously, taking another step outside towards Damon and Klaus who were standing a little ways apart, staring at each other as Sarah skipped up the steps and straight towards her father, a beaming smile on her face.

"Daddy says that Grandma Esther has a new boyfriend." She declared, watching her aunt Rebekah's face turn one shade of pale and then become riddled with irritation.

"A boyfriend? Since when?" She calmly asked Sarah, seeing the little girl make her way towards her and stand up on her tippy toes, whispering into her aunts ear. Sarah had relayed nearly everything that she had just heard her father and uncle discuss to Rebekah. And, naturally the blonde wasn't too happy.

"Mother got married and she's in town? When were the two of you going to tell me!" Rebekah exclaimed, telling Sarah to go inside the house and spend some time picking out cute table cloth colors with her mother for the baby shower.

"Well, I...We..." Damon began stammering out. If there was one thing he hated, it was seeing Rebekah seething mad, just like she was now.

"I just found out!" Damon stated, innocently.

Rebekah licked her lips, sternly turning towards her brother. "When were we going to tell Rebekah that her mother was back in town with not just a boyfriend. But, a new husband?" Rebekah spat out at Klaus, crossing her arms over chest and exhaling deeply.

Klaus lifted his hands, running them through his hair. That was the last time he was going to say anything to anyone when his daughter was in ear shot. Klaus seemed to forget sometimes that the almost 7 year old little girl was like a sponge. She remember everything and relayed it without a problem. Also, just like almost all children, Sarah didn't know how to lie very well and she really always spoke the truth.

"I was going to tell you." Klaus said defensively, turning to Rebekah with an apologetic look. "Bexs, please don't stress out about this. Mother's still at the hotel with him and she's not supposed to-." His words were abruptly got cut off when they all heard Caroline's shrieking voice and then all they heard from Sarah was "Grandma!"

"You better pray that, she doesn't mean Grandma Mikaelson. Because, you will be dead." She warned him, closing her eyes and reminding herself to calm down before she stepped back inside the house.

Rebekah glanced up to meet her mother's gaze as she stepped inside the house, wheeling two suitcases behind her. "Sweetheart!" Esther exclaimed, embracing her daughter and smiling gleefully at her. "It's been far too long." Esther added, holding on to Rebekeh as she hugged her mother tightly, looking back behind her to notice that her mother had come alone.

"How's the newlywed?" Damon teased, getting a surprised look from Esther as he concluded. "The cats out of the bag, Esther." He smirked.

She shook her head, sighing and stepping away from Rebekah to give Damon a hug. "I'm doing well. And, so is the new husband. He's actually out on business for a few days. So, I told him that I was going to visit you all, since that was the original plan." Esther informed them, looking around the room with a loving smile on her face. She looked beyond excited to be around her family. Relieved and thankful.

"So, where's everyone else? Stefan, Katherine, my other handsome son, Elijah..Didn't you all used to be together all the time." Esther questioned, feeling their absence. She turned to hear Caroline laugh a little, glancing down at the floor as she stepped in front of her mother in law and smiled. "Oh, we have a lot to catch you up on. But, first I think you'll need a drink for what we're going to say."

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Elena asked, glancing over at Katherine who was staring in the back seat at Elijah. She sighed out a breath, noticing Jenna's car parked in front of Isobel's house. It was now or never, it was time to bring the past and future together.

"Yeah, I'm ready as I'll ever be." Katherine said, opening the driver's side door and glancing back over at Elena and Elijah. "Are you two coming?" She asked, noticing Elena's door cracked open as she smiled and nodded. However, Elijah looked as if he was going to puke. He held a white teddy bear in his hands as he slowly got out of the car.

"I'm fine. Just a bit nervous." He explained, trying to shake his nerves of meeting Isobel, Jenna and Ethan all at once. He was thankful that her brother wasn't there too because god only knew what he had heard about his relationship with Katherine. He didn't want to be bombarded with questions.

"How about you go first, Elena." Katherine encouraged, smiling at her and watching Elena take the lead as she stood back near the car with Elijah. He leaned against the closed door of the red convertible BMW, his arms crossed over his chest and the stuffed bear in his right hand.

"I don't think I can do this, Katherine." He told her with an honest tone. As much as he wanted to move forward with her, as much as he had even asked to meet her son. The realization of it happening in the moment was giving Elijah a bit of a small panic attack. He watched her place her hands firmly on to his shoulders, shaking him a bit and grabbing his attention as she spoke clearly and softly.

"Yes, you can. He's going to love you. Elijah, he is going to love you as much as I do and one of these days we're going to be a family." She reminded him of the talk that they had, a few weeks prior and of their goal once they left Chicago behind for good.

"Yeah." He nodded, slowly pushing away from Katherine and taking her hand into his as he sighed out a breath while intertwining their fingers together when they both came to stand beside Elena, both of them glancing down at the ring that was hard to not miss on her left hand.

Elijah watched Katherine's facial expression change from nervous to completely stunned as she leaned towards Elena's ear and whispered. "Well, if all else fails. We can always change the subject and talk about that huge sized rock on your left hand. It's a nice ring, Elena. When did he ask you to marry him?"

Elena blushed at Katherine's question. Attempting to cover her hand up. But, it was already too late. She had forgotten all about taking the ring off this morning because spending the morning with Stefan had made her forget all about it. Truthfully, she had been way more focused on him while they had showered together. Although, he did try to tell her to take it off if she didn't want anyone knowing. Yet, a small part of Elena was hoping that someone would notice it because she wanted to see their reaction. And, sure enough Katherine was the first one to make the observation that it was still on her hand.

She stepped back, slipping the ring into her pocket and smiling just a little. "The other night when we we together. Katherine, I know you two were married and I'm not trying to hurt you with having the ring on my hand. I want you to know that. This has nothing to do with you. It's a choice that Stefan and I made. We want to be together for a very long time. I love him." She explained, lightly knocking on the front door of her mothers house as Katherine rang the door bell, glancing back over at Elijah who seemed a bit calmer now.

"And, nothing should stop you from being with him anymore. He and I are going to be finalizing our divorce in just a short few weeks. It was amicable and that's it. Because, we are all trying to move on and be grown adults about this. Although, from experience I can tell you this, Elena. The moment you step outside and into the media circus that surrounds us all with that rock on your hand. The paparazzi are like vaulters, waiting for a story and they will pounce on you. So since we're all trying to clean up our image when it comes to the press. I suggest you hold off wearing that thing in public for now." She advised, taking a step back and watching Elena huff out a breath. She wanted to say something, anything at all to try and clarify further that she really did forget about it. However, her words became drown out by the small child opening the door and standing behind it just slightly.

He was shyly staring up at his mother as Katherine knelt down to be eye level with him. She felt horrible. She wasn't the best of mothers, that was for damn sure. But, she wanted more than anything to make it up to Ethan because she knew that Isobel couldn't care for her own son forever. And, it was time that she stepped up and took full responsibility in her motherly duties.

"Mommy?" He asked, his hand on the door knob as he hide part of his face behind the door. Katherine nodded, sighing heavily and wiping away the tears that were threatening to spill over as she stepped inside and embraced him tightly, whispering against his cheek as she kissed him and held him in her arms. "I am so sorry for leaving you, baby boy. I don't ever want to be away from you again. I promise, I'm going to be a better mommy this time. I swear, I'm going to be better than before."

* * *

Katherine stood in the kitchen with Ethan in her arms, adjusting him against her hip as she kissed his face and mumbled how big he had gotten since she had seen him last. Her words not going unheard by Jenna or by Isobel.

"You haven't been here for a few months." Isobel ridiculed her daughter, shaking her head and taking a seat next to Elena. Elijah sat beside Jenna nervously smiling over at them both.

"You have a very lovely home." He said, glancing around the house and then resting his eyes on Katherine who was too busy wrapped up in needing to spend more time with her son to realize that Elijah was trying his best to lighten the sudden hostile mood.

"So, what are you three even doing here? Look, I invited Jenna as Katherine asked. But, I guess what I'm curious about is why did he tag along?" Isboel questioned with an irritated tone as she pointed her index finger at Elijah. He was smiling at her though, not taking offense at the fact that she seemed fairly irritated today.

"We came here to see Ethan. Also, Elena and I wanted to talk to Jenna and you about a few important things." Katherine explained, smoothly talking to her mother in hopes of calming her down.

"If you're here to talk about taking your son away from the only home that he has ever known. I don't want to hear it! Katherine, you're a dead beat mother. You kept him out of the spot light for his own safety and I fully understand that. Although, where the hell have you been when your son was sick with the flu for two nights? I was the one to stay up with him and make sure that he was okay. I took days off work and drove out to his daycare to pick him up because the staff there said that Ethan was acting out. I was the one who replaced you, while you were out trying to take your precious life back from your sister, instead of taking care of your son! Look at all you've lost along the way." Isobel spat out, getting up from her chair and stepping out of the room without another word.

"Will you, hold him?" Katherine asked, handing Ethan off to Elena as she ran after her mother, hearing the front door slam behind her when she stormed out of the house. Katherine followed her closely behind, crossing her arms over her chest and locking her eyes securely on Isobel. "I should have never thought that keeping my pregnancy a secret was a good thing. Because, the truth is that it hurt a lot of people all because I was trying to protect myself and Ethan. It hurt you the most because I was foolishly thinking that hiding him here and having you take care of him for me was better." Katherine closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face as she continued to speak.

"You know what. You're right. You've been more of a mother to him than I have and for that. I'm sorry. Okay, I am so sorry to have dropped that on you. But, I have a plan and it's a damn good one. Elijah and I are going to take Ethan far away from here and start over, mom. We need it so badly and so does my son. I love you and you've helped me out more than you will ever know. But, it's time I take responsibility for him." Katherine told her, wiping away her tears and sniffling as she glanced up to see Isobel nodding her head, crying as well.

"I don't want you to take him away. But, I do want you to be his mother. Katherine, I've already raised my own children and I do love Ethan as much as any grandmother could. However, I should have never been placed in the role of being his mother as well. That responsibility fell upon you, long ago and I'm glad to see that you're finally realizing that you need to step up and take accountability for your actions. He needs you, Katherine. Your son needs his mother and he doesn't need a replacement as I was for him. He needs you, my darling daughter. The real thing." Isobel told her, turning her back away from Katherine as she heard her speak.

"I know that he does. That's why I'm here mom. I'm ready to start working again, to move on with my life and a huge part of that is making sure that Ethan has everything he needs. So, all I'm asking for is for you to allow him to live with me. Elijah and I have already found a place and I've been doing really good with my probation. I haven't screwed up and I don't want to anymore. I have too much to lose if I do." She replied, watching Isobel turn back towards her with watery eyes as she spoke.

"And, what would you have to lose?" She asked her, waiting for Katherine to speak. She sighed deeply, running her hands through her hair before she stated. "The rebuilding of my relationships with everyone that I've hurt since I left. The relationships with the people that mean more to me than any of them will ever understand."

* * *

**A/N:Katherine and Ethan break my heart. *Sigh***

**Please follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

**And, as always reviews are gladly appreciated. I promise that I won't take this damn long in between updates and that I do have lots more Kalijah, Stelena, Klaroline and Debekah goodness planned! :)**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	40. Chapter Forty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**Because you all have been so awesome to me, I have decided to keep this story going until at least I hit chapter 50. Since, I feel like there is still some more left of this story to tell. :)  
**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: BePassionate_24**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Within Temptation Chapter Forty**

Elena sighed out a breath, rolling over on her side and watching as the morning light caught the reflection from her diamond ring. She was happy, happier than she had been in a very long time and the reason for it all was laying right beside her. His head burying into the curve of her neck, the tickling of his breath causing her to roll away from him and glance out the window. Both of them listening to the birds chirping away as she stretched out her tired and sore body against his toned and warm naked skin.

Her body tensed the moment Stefan's hand lifted and he reached out for her, reeling her back in for another moment of peaceful bliss. It was quiet this morning, the only thing being heard was the loud grinding sound of the coffee being made in the kitchen and the smell of it was starting to pour into their bedroom.

"We really should get up and do something productive today." Elena commented, her brown eyes glistening in the morning light that was filling the room.

"Or, we could just stay here and I could keep doing this." Stefan said against her bare arm, leaving sweet and slow kisses upon her flesh that made her eyes close while she sighed out a breath. He was making it difficult for her to concentrate and for her to pull herself away.

"So, how did things go with your mother and aunt the other day?" Stefan asked her playing dumb, lifting his head up as he licked his lips and planted a kiss just above her belly button, his hands slipping the sheets down her hips even lower. Elena buried her face into her hair and deeper into the pillow as she sighed out a breath and arched her back forward towards Stefan's body. He smirked to himself, gliding his hand down to the small of her back and leaving a kiss against her stomach. He heard Elena's voice crack as she finally spoke. "Went fine." She replied quickly, mumbling out the rest of her words that didn't make much sehse at all because she was too focused on the movement of his hands.

"Good. So, I thought about helping your aunt out." Stefan said, gliding his fingers up and down Elena's spine in a soft and sensual motion that left her whimpering out for more when he finally stopped his hands from moving and flopped back down beside her in the bed, lifting up his arms so that she curled her body up beside his.

"So, are you going to do it. Are we really going to merge Dasells and her antique shop?" Elena asked, biting down on her lower lip as Stefan nipped and licked at her skin, sighing against Elena's shoulder which in turn caused her to have goosebumps across her whole body.

"Yes. We are. I'm going to talk to Damon about it and everyone else. Calling an urgent family meeting." Stefan told her, clearing his throat as he left a soft kiss on her neck, running his thumb over her bare flesh. The mood had suddenly changed between them and Elena could feel it as she shifted underneath Stefan in the warm and safe bedroom that they shared. Maybe it was the look that he wasn't allowing her to see in his green and loving eyes that were filling with unshed tears. Elena felt Stefan lay his cheek flat against her stomach as he lowered himself down beside her again. She could hear him sigh out a breath and speak, not daring to glance up at her so that she could see his facial expression. Although, she knew him well enough now to not have to ask what was wrong as his hand gently moved across her exposed and naked body and his thumbs stopped near her empty womb.

"I want to give you the family that I know we both want and I know that we both deserve. Stefan, it's just going to take some time." Elena said, her short fingernails caressing his cheek and closing her eyes as her thumb stroked over the moistened patches of where his tears had fallen.

"I can't wait for us to be out of the damn spotlight all the time. I wish I could take you away from all of it today. Right now. I wish we didn't have to come back once we left. Being rich and famous can destroy everything." Stefan mumbled to himself, lifting himself away from Elena and laying beside her. She felt him take her hand into his own as his hand lifted hers to his lips and he kissed her engagement ring.

"So, take me far away from here." Elena smirked, rolling into him and leaving a kiss against his cheek, hitching her leg with his and rubbing his calve with her heel. Stefan groaned loudly when he felt Elena rolling on top of him. Stefan closed his eyes and inhaled sharply as Elena's wet and hot lips left a trail of kisses in the middle of his chest, racking her nails across his skin.

"I wish I could babe. But, I have a meeting that I should be..." Stefan's voice trailing off as his mind concentrated on what she was doing to him. Her hands roaming across his skin, her lips and mouth teasing and taunting him.

"I know. A very important business meeting. But, we don't talk about those kinds of things, remember? Especially in bed together." Elena teased him, her nails running up and down his chest as she disappeared underneath the sheets and Stefan felt his body stiffen. His heart rate picked up when Elena's mouth was just about to taunt him even more. However, a loud knock at the door made them both jump up from the bed. Elena quickly wrapped herself up in the thin white sheet, throwing Stefan a beaming smile as she glanced over at him. He was exposed, naked and looking a bit embarrassed as he slide into his boxers and she watched him get up.

"I should go answer it." He told her, his hair a tasseled mess going every which way. Elena stood in front of him, her fingertip gently touching his chin as she locked her warm brown eyes on him. "I'll be here, waiting."

"You better be." Stefan replied with a raspy in his tone, leaning up and kissing her deeply before breaking apart and walking towards the door frame. Elena watched him pause, his hand touching the wood from the frame as he looked back at her. She was now sitting on the edge of the bed, still wrapped up in the white sheet and smiling at him while she exposed a bit of her bare shoulder. "I love you so much."

Her smile quickly became brightened at his words as she blew him a kiss and fell back into the mattress, lifting her head up just a little as she happily replied. "I love you more."

* * *

"Good morning little brother. You'll never guess who made the headlines!" Damon exclaimed, shoving his way into Stefan's house and watching as Stefan stumbled backwards, fixing the belt on a pair of jeans he had picked up off the floor before leaving Elena's side.

"I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something?" Damon asked, folding up the magazine and smiling as he pointed his finger to his little brother, placing the tip of it into his mouth as he gasped. "Well shit, I'm sorry for breaking up your little sexy bedroom escapades with the fiancee. But, she's the reason I'm here." Damon added in, taking a seat on the over priced leather couch in Stefan's living room. He watched as Damon leaned deeper into the white cushions as he slowly unfolded the three magazine's and placed them on to the glass coffee table in front of him. "Take your pick. The two of you are the talk of the town." Damon winked, watching Stefan's face go a little pale.

"You've got to be kidding me." Stefan grumbled, taking a seat across from Damon and turning the magazine covers towards himself as he read the headlines out loud. " **Millionaire quietly divorces Katherine Salvatore, moves on quickly with twin sister!"**

Stefan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose, fighting the urge to not roll his eyes at how ridiculous this all was. "Katherine and I divorced a while ago. Elena and I waited until then to get..We're engaged by the way." Stefan added in, raising his eyebrows at Damon with a smirk.

"Yeah, I figured that much since the next two tabloid headlines pretty much talk about that. Oh, and they have a nice little picture of Elena sipping coffee outside of Dasells with that nice looking engagement ring on her hand to accompany their claims." Damon summarized with a bit of annoyance in his voice that he had to be the one to find out like this.

"Why didn't you tell me, Stefan. I had to walk by a damn newsstand this morning in downtown while I was getting my morning coffee and making my way here to find out that the two of you are engaged. You said you were just going to get the ring and that you'd put off the proposal part for a while longer." Damon spat out, clearly irritated at his younger brother. His face perked up a bit though as he lifted his eyes and saw Elena coming out from their bedroom. Her hair was down, swaying past her shoulders and she wearing one of Stefan's tight fitting dark colored workout shirts that seemed to fit her fairly loosely, a pair of short red pajamas underneath that accented her long and lean legs.

"Morning Damon." She smiled and greeted him gleefully, walking over to where Stefan sat and sliding into his lap as Damon watched Stefan place his arms around her and kiss her cheek.

"Morning." He mumbled, sighing out a breath and running his hand through his hair. "I should go." He stated, quickly lifting himself up. However, he stopped when he heard Stefan clear his throat and sweetly tell Elena to go pour them a cup of coffee. Damon watched her kiss his lips, her finger lingering under his chin for a few minutes until she got up. Elena looked down at the three magazine covers. People, US Weekly and In Touch Weekly all glared back at her with the three most ridiculous headlines that she had ever read. "What the hell is this?" Elena snapped, pointing down to them and then securing her eyes back up at Damon.

"Well, someone saw you walking around town a few days ago with that big fat ring on your hand and they squealed, like a pig! They probably got a portion of money too for splashing your names all over these covers, once again. So, bravo future sister in law. I applaud you for putting us in the headlines, again!" Damon stated sarcastically, pushing up from the couch and brushing off his pants as Stefan nearly growled out his name.

Damon scoffed, shaking his head. "No, No. Listen to me, Elena. If you want to be in this family and if you don't want your name thrown into the ring with a bunch of man eating piranha's. Take a tip from someone who knows something more than you. Stay low key and if you don't want people knowing your business or my brothers because you know, you are going to obviously be his wife soon. I suggest you don't go out wearing such expensive rings where people will be speculating about you. It's called having a tough skin and in this life that we have. You better have one or you will be screwed."

Elena watched Damon pivot on his heels, picking up the magazines and placing them underneath his arm as he attempted to make his way out of the house. "Damon, wait. I need to talk to you about something else, privately." Stefan said, glancing over at Elena and signaling to her that she should leave the room.

"In your office?" He asked, smiling at Elena who was now standing in the kitchen, glancing down at the coffee machine.

"Yeah, in my office." Stefan replied, placing his hand on to his older brother's back as they walked out of the living room and down the hallway. Elena leaned her body against the counter and exhaled deeply. There were clearly still so many things she had yet to learn about being in the Salvatore family and according to Damon, it was going to take a long time for her to learn them.

* * *

"So, why not talk about it in front of the fiancee?" He asked Stefan, closing the door behind them as Stefan sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. He was fixated on his shoes, tilting his head to the side when he noticed a scuff mark on them.

"We already talked about it and now since you're here. I was hoping that you and I could discuss it." Stefan reiterated, giving his brother a small smile.

Damon leaned his back against the door, watching the tension in Stefan's shoulders disperse a bit as he began talking, recalling past events. "You know how we never merged Jenna's antiques and Dasells, all those years ago when we had promised Katherine that we would do it."

Damon nodded, he remembered it well. It was around the same time that he and Rebekah had first gotten together and they were just starting out with taking over Dasells. Stefan had just been promoted to CEO and Damon the co founder. They were just putting their names on the map back then.

"Yeah, that was years ago. So, why are we revisiting it now?" He asked.

Stefan smiled, huffing out a breath. "Katherine and Elena both want us to help Jenna again. Although, this time they want the merger to actually happen. Look, Elena is going to be taking over Katherine's old position in the company, Katherine most likely will be moving on with Elijah. She doesn't want anything to do with this life anymore, Damon. She wants to take Ethan and rebuild somewhere else. And, I think she should."

"So, you want Elena to take over Katherine's position once the merger happens? Oh, Stefan from that little display with the engagement ring and the magazine covers just showed to me. Clearly, I think that she isn't capable of doing it. She doesn't know anything about this business or what we deal with! She knows nothing about what mergers entail and how to be a damn employee. She-." Stefan's hand lifting up into the air as he snapped his fingers quickly stopped Damon's ramblings.

"Before Katherine leaves for a new life that she deserves. I'm not stopping her this time, Damon. She gave me her blessing to be with Elena and if Elijah makes her happy than I want her to be happy. But, I want her to teach Elena everything she knows. Trust me, with Katherine's influence...Elena will be perfect for the job." Stefan explained in a hopeful tone as Damon sighed deeply.

"And, what about Jenna? What's going to happen when we buy her out? Have you thought about the things that it's going to do. Is she going to own a portion of the company, is she going to own just a percentage? Stefan, what is going to happen to Jenna!" Damon nearly shouted at his brother. Stefan pushed away from the desk, placing his hands into his pockets and deeply inhaling.

"Jenna is going to become an investor. I want her to own a portion of it." Stefan firmly stated as he heard Damon let out a loud hardy laugh, as if his little brother had just said a pretty funny joke.

"An investor? This just keeps getting even more interesting. Please, keep going." Damon added in, finally taking a seat in one of Stefan's office chairs as he crossed his legs over one another and looked over at Stefan who was clearly lost in thought.

"Jenna owning part of the company will still give her access to just the right amount of it and Elena taking over Katherine's position will be perfect for her. Please, Damon...Let's just do this and fulfill the promise that we made Katherine years ago. We said her aunt wasn't going to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Although, if we keep things the way that they are, Jenna's going to lose it all." Stefan tried to reason with him, hoping that Damon would cave in.

Damon sat silently for a long time, not looking over at him. The awkwardness could be felt in the room as Stefan walked over to his desk and took a seat too, tapping his fingers against the table in the room. "Fine. Let's do it. But, once it's done and everything is settled. You need to realize that there is no going back with this." Damon warned him.

"Fine. No going back. Listen, Damon. This is a good thing for us and for Jenna. I promise that this merger is going to bring us all good things and save both of our companies." Stefan reassured him, seeing a little of the doubt vanish from his blue gaze.

"Yeah, I hope it does. Because, it if doesn't. We might as well be screwed." He stated, getting up and patting his brother on the shoulder as he smiled just a little bit. "Congratulations on the engagement to Elena by the way. I know that I didn't seem too thrilled about it earlier. But, I am. Stefan, I'm really happy for you." Damon said, lifting his hand away and turning around as he sighed. "I'll see you at the office so that we can work on the paperwork regarding all of this. I'll go start on a plan, then we can do some more close door discussions with Jenna, get some of those pesky legal things out of the way before we make the announcement to everyone official."

"Great, so in a few months it should all be squared away and done?" Stefan asked, slightly unaware for how long it was all going to really take.

Damon nodded and stopped near the door, smiling at his younger brother. "Yeah, hopefully after the baby is here and you and Elena have picked a venue for the wedding." Damon winked, walking out of the room and adding in that he'd be seeing Stefan later on.

* * *

"I want the blue and dark pink pionees flowers over by the water fountain!" Caroline shouted at the crew that she had assembled to help her decorate Rebekah's baby shower.

"Blue and pink pionees, love? I thought they were having a girl." Klaus asked, walking behind his wife and pulling her into his embrace from behind him. He felt her body relax as she sighed and buried her tired face into the curve of his neck muttering softly. "They won't know what the gender is until the baby is born." Caroline pointed out, feeling Klaus chuckle a little.

"So, how many hours tomorrow morning in this thing going to take?" Klaus asked her, kissing her cheek and working his lips down to her exposed collar bone. Caroline was wearing a thin light pink dress that was flowing behind her and getting stuck against Klaus's navy blue suit pants. He had the cuffs to his dark red dress shirt rolled up past his elbows and his lips ghostly hovering over his wife's neck. "Mhmm, the things that I would do to you right now if we weren't in front of all these people." He whispered, feeling her body stiffen as she sharply inhaled through her nose.

"I have work to do, Klaus. I can't just disappear." She commented, turning around in his arms and locking her blue eyes on to his. He watched as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to steal a kiss from him. The moment their lips met Caroline knew that there was a double meaning in his words. The kiss was slow and sensual, sending a tingling down her whole entire body that she hadn't felt in a while. Caroline wanted him and she wanted him badly. However, her self control had kicked in and she figured that she'd have to wait until later to take him up on his offer.

"20 minutes of fun with your husband in the backseat of a very decent large car won't screw anything up. I promise." He tried pleading with her. Attempting his best to convince her. Caroline groaned, fixing the tie around his neck that was now a bit lopsided as she caressed his cheek with a beaming smile spreading across her face.

"Sounds so tempting. But, I promised Rebekah that this would be done today and you know how she gets when things are delayed. We've moved the baby shower to tomorrow morning." Caroline explained excitedly, watching her husband's face fall as he kissed her forehead and let out a loud disappointed exhale.

"Fine. Great, sounds good. I should go check up on Damon anyways, see how things are going." He added in, taking his keys out of his pocket and wiggling them in front of Caroline's face teasingly while he tauntingly spoke. "If you get sick of my sister's nagging and need a release for all that pent up tension in your body that I can feel in your shoulders. Let me know, love. You know where I'll be." He winked, pivoting away from her and leaving Caroline lusting after him as she watched him walk away. The sound of Katherine's voice making her nearly jump out of her skin.

"With a proposal like that, you're an idiot if you don't take it." Katherine commented, brushing past Caroline as she felt the blonde's hand latch against her arm.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline questioned as Katherine smiled up at her.

"Watching the display of your husband desperately wanting you and you just shot him down. Caroline, I know we have a long way to go until we're friends again. But, do yourself a favor and make sure to spend some equal time with everyone that's important. Speaking of...I better get back to Elijah who is waiting for me back inside of the house." She winked, releasing Caroline's grasp and walking away from her with a smile.

* * *

"Where have you been all morning?" Elijah asked with a rough and sleep filled tone. He squinted his eyes when the door opened and Katherine reappeared into the room, throwing herself on to the bed beside him.

"Watching Caroline Mikaelson try not to self destruct at helping your sister for the baby shower tomorrow morning." Katherine commented gleefully, pulling Elijah down towards her mouth by the collar of his shirt. Katherine smiled as he kissed his lips, deepening it while her hand brushed against the back of his neck and before she knew it, Elijah was straddling her lap. His fingers lifting up her cotton turquoise colored blouse as his lips moved on to her shoulders and lowered themselves down to her breasts caused Katherine's protests to silence. _"_ _We shouldn't."_ had quickly became _"_ _Maybe we should."_ in her mind.

"I can't wait to have our own place. We can christen every room in the house without being worried if anyone is going to walk in." Elijah told her, his lips kissing the curve of her neck as his hands achingly continued to lift up her blouse.

"We're going to be raising my son too." Katherine reminded him, watching Elijah's smile widen at the thought of Ethan. "He's a lovely young man, Katherine."

She smiled sweetly, placing her hand on to Elijah's cheek. "I know. He just needs some guidance and I know that you can be that for him. You're going to be a perfect step dad, Elijah." She reassured him, feeling Elijah pull her body close to his as he kissed her lips. Katherine inhaled deeply, the scent of him intoxicating her senses and making her forget nearly all of her thoughts as they found themselves getting caught up in the moment together. Elijah's hands slide her blouse off as hers slipped underneath his thin gray t-shirt and she kissed his chest when his skin became exposed. Katherine ran her fingers over his chest when she whimpered the moment her legs wrapped around Elijah's pelvis and her body fell back against the mattress. The tangled mess of sheets became kicked off on to the floor the moment Elijah's body weight was felt against Katherine's.

"I love you. I will always love you. I want us to be a family, Katherine." He told her sincerely, moving a strand of her hair behind her ears and kissing her lips gingerly as he groaned at the touch of her hands while she began unzipping his pants. His rough calloused fingers were felt against her burning hot skin slowly moving her skirt up to Katherine's thighs and brushing against her dark purple lacy underwear that matched the bra she was still wearing.

"I love you too." Katherine stated breathlessly, turning her head to the side and allowing him to have his way with her as his lips silenced her whimpering pleas of continual pleasure while their bodies gave in to desire. Katherine pulled him closer when she felt her underwear slip off down to her knees. He grinned against her mouth and lightly scrapped his teeth against her neck as she turned her head and closed her eyes, enjoying every minute of being underneath his sensual touch.

* * *

Their clothing had long ago been discarded as a knock at the door forced Katherine's tired and heavy eyelids to pop up. "Ugh, what do you want?" She asked sharply with a hint of frustration at whoever was behind the door. Katherine wanted to stay in Elijah's embrace and not move. She wanted to enjoy the blissful and loving glances that they had been sharing just hours before as they made love in the guest room, confessing their unbreakable bond to each other.

A pause was heard and the footsteps seemed to be descending down the stairs. But, they quickly rushed back to the door as Katherine opened it slowly and leaned her head out, catching a glimpse of a pair of familiar brown eyes and brown hair that matched her own. "Elena." She stated knowingly.

Elena froze, turning back around with an apologetic look in her eyes. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything. I just...I came over to talk about something." She said nervously, glancing down at her ruby red high heels as she shifted her weight. Katherine lifted her hand, pointing down at her outfit. She was wearing nothing more than one of Elijah's dress shirts, a few of the buttons still fastened together and the rest of it was being held together in her hands. "Wait for me downstairs as I change into something a bit more appropriate and I'll come out and talk to you about whatever it is." Katherine said, about to the close the door. Although, her had stopped it from shutting fully when she heard Elena blurt out. "He wants me to take over your position at Dasell's, Katherine. Stefan wants me to be a part of the business and he's right. I don't know anything about any of it. I don't think I can do this...I can't be you again."

Katherine ran her fingers through her frizzy and curly matted hair, deeply inhaling. "Just give me a few minutes. We'll talk about it." She said, closing the door and leaning her back against it as she watched Elijah stir in the bed, his eyes slowly opening as he yawned and stretched out.

"Hi darling." He directed towards Katherine with a smirk, watching as she crawled back into the bed with him, stealing a quick kiss.

"Who were you talking to?" Elijah asked her in a groggy tone. Katherine straddled his lap as she slide her hand down his chest, sighing before she spoke. "Just my sister. She needs help. Too bad because we could have continued right where we left off hadn't she interrupted us." She commented with a wink, stopping her hand right at where the white cotton bed sheet fell against Elijah's hip bones.

"Go take care of it and we can continue this later tonight, when I've got more energy. You really did a number on me, sweetheart." He grinned at her lovingly. Katherine laughed a little, kissing him once more before she hopped off the bed and slowly put her bra back on, then her underwear.

"Fine, I look forward to it. And, oh please don't act like you didn't enjoy every minute of it." She said over her shoulder, placing the rest of her clothes on before she turned back towards him fully with a wide eyed grin. "You should stay there, be the one waiting for me. I'm sure it won't take very long." Katherine replied with a flirtatious tone.

Elijah shook his head, his chest rising and falling while he inhaled deeply and smiled at her. "Wish I could darling. But, I need to go talk with your ex-husband. He's calling an urgent meeting at Dasells and it's going to take awhile, sounds very important. Something to do with the merger." Elijah explained, hearing Katherine gasp as her hand dropped away from the door handle to their bedroom.

"The merger? No..You're kidding." She commented, searching Elijah's eyes for some sort of trickery.

He was serious now though, staring at her intently as he slowly got up from the bed, kicking off the messy sheets completely. "Apparently Stefan and Damon are going to go through with it. He said that he wants to make Jenna an investor into the company so that she can still have a portion of it. Which will allow her to still have some say in sales and distributions."

Katherine's brown eyes glistened at his words. "Tell him thank you for me. Tell Stefan that he has no idea how much this means for me, for Jenna. For all of us."

Elijah nodded, placing one of his legs into his boxers and then the other as he got up and groaned at how achingly sore his body was. "I will." He told her softly, taking a step towards Katherine and kissing her once more before she cupped his face into the palm of her hands. "I'll see you later tonight." She promised, wiping her lip gloss from his lips with her thumb before he watched her go downstairs without looking back at him.

* * *

Katherine straightened out her blouse, fixed her hair and exhaled deeply as her gaze swept across the room and she saw Elena looking over one of Rebekah's baby books, a hurtful expression on her face.

"You're lucky to have Ethan. You know, I used to never think about kids. I used to never think about a future or having a husband. But, now with everything that's happened. I can't stop myself from thinking about all of it...Espcially with Stefan..." Her voice cracked as she placed the baby book down and leaned forward, rubbing her face vigorously as Katherine noticed Elena smug her make up a bit.

"And that's why once my probation is over in a few months and once Elijah's divorce is finalized with Rose. We're leaving Chicago for good. We've been thinking about going to a small rural town or something. Elijah and I both want to get out of this city and not look back, Elena. I want to build a life with him, I want to be his wife and I want my son to have a father who will love him as much as he loves me." Katherine confessed, noticing that Elena's brown eyes were glazed over with tears as she leaned forward and capturing her sister's shaking hands against her own.

"And, I think you should do just that. Look, we all deserve happiness, Katherine and clearly he makes you happy. So, in these next few months make sure to enjoy it. But, also plan on a future that you know you'll both want. Small town girl, I like the sound of that." Elena said, clasping their hands together and looking down at them. She had dreamt about moments like these, deep conversations with her sister that were meaningful and that meant something.

"So do you. Stefan loves you and I can see that he's finally truly happy with you. So, don't screw it up. And, as far as taking over my position as Dasells. There isn't much to know. Keep your friends close and your enemy's even closer. Don't trust too many people and do your job the way you think it should be done, not how everyone else wants you to do. Because, in a position as high as mine was...There will be a lot of people trying to pull you down. Just don't listen to them and be true to who you are, Elena." Katherine advised, letting go of Elena's hands for a moment and leaning back into the couch cushions.

"If there is anyone more suited for this spot, it's you. I've already resigned from my former position within the company. So, it's all yours now. It's just waiting for you to fill it. You can do this, Elena. I know you can." Katherine told her truthfully, seeing a bit of doubt creeping up into Elena's brown eyes as Katherine leaned forward once more and cupped her hands over Elena's. Their brown eyes were both boring into one another.

"Stefan won't let anything happen to you and I promise that neither will anyone one else. Besides, you looked better than me up on that big Television screen during those events around his arm. I saw how he looked at you with such love in his eyes." Katherine said, huffing out a breath as she leaned towards her sister and whispered softly into Elena's ear. "You pulled this off once, Elena Gilbert. You convinced the whole world that you were me. Truthfully, I'm pretty sure you can do it again. The only difference being is that you'll be yourself and there won't be any lies to hide behind this time. Hell, you might even be better at this than I was." Katherine told her, backing away and smirking as she leaned back into the couch and watched Elena sit across from her, a perplexed facial expression on her face.

"What if I mess something up and we end up in the spot light, like we already are. They track everything about our lives, Katherine and I don't think I can handle that." Elena stated with a disgusted tone as she heard Katherine let out loud laugh.

"That's all part of it, honey. You want to play with the big sharks. You might get bit sometimes. Although, you won't screw up. Because if you think you're about to, that will be the moment you call me and I'll give you some advice." Katherine told her, smiling just a little as she watched Elena return the gesture. They sat in the living room as silence fell upon them and Katherine cleared her throat.

"I care about you, Elena. I know that we haven't really been acting like sisters with all of our bickering and disagreements. But, I think it's time we do. Aside from Aunt Jenna, mom and Jeremy. You're another very important person in my life when it comes to our family and I'm finally realizing that it's time we set aside our differences and come together as a family unit." Katherine told her, leaning forward and extending out her hands to Elena as she slowly got up.

Elena hesitantly looked up at Katherine as she too got up from the couch and finally said. "I care about you too, Katherine. And, you're right. It's time we put aside our differences." Elena replied, extending out her arms and feeling as Katherine stepped into her embrace, exhaling a sigh of relief as they stood in the middle of the lavish living room, holding each other for a few minutes until Katherine backed away and grinned. "You are going to be a breath of fresh air for Dasells and that is just what it needs. Just don't lose yourself along the way like I did."

* * *

**A/N: Up next: Caroline and Klaus will have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves, Rebekah's baby shower begins. Elena and Stefan talk wedding details. Also, a very important talk is going to happen between Elijah and Katherine. ;)**

**Please feel free to leave me a review with suggestions that you might have and comments. I love knowing what you all have to say, so that I can make this story even better.**

**-Until Next Time!-**

 


	41. Chapter Forty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A?N: Hey all! So, I just wanted to let you all know that I have decided that Within Temptation will be coming to an end very soon. With that being said, there will be 1 more chapter before I post the last chapter and the epilogue. :) Also, thank you all for those who have stuck with me for this long. I am so thankful for you guys and it has made me so happy to know that many of you have really loved this story!  
**

**Enjoy & thanks so much for reading & reviewing! **

**Follow me for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Forty-One **

"You know love, it's going to be really hard keeping my hands away from you." Klaus purred into his wife's ear as his hands slide down Caroline's hips and he stopped them just in the center of her backside. His breath tickling her skin while she leaned against the table where all the guests had been leaving their gifts. The baby shower had started two hours ago and Klaus was clearly getting annoyed that Caroline had been too busy fusing around Rebekah to barely notice him.

"Baby, I have work to do and none of it right now involves your hands anywhere around me." Caroline replied back sternly, feeling his lips hovering over her neck as he left a quick kiss against her flesh. "Well, if my hands can't have any fun, what about my lips?" He asked her with a seductive tone.

Caroline laughed, pressing her back into the table as she wrapped her arms around his neck, locking her blue gaze on to him. "Not now, Klaus." She stated, leaning in a stealing a kiss as she attempted to brush past him. Although, his firm grasp against her arm stopped her from moving any further. "Soon we're going to need to pick a night for just the two of us. Maybe we can have Stefan and Elena watch Sarah too. I miss you, Caroline." Klaus told her, kissing her forehead before letting go of her arm and watching as she took a few steps away from him and smiled, turning back and shouting out. "Hopefully that date will come soon."

Klaus sighed as he watched her leave. He closed his eyes when he felt a heavy hand being lightly placed on his shoulder. "I'll never understand how you can stay away from a woman like that." Damon slurred, grinning from ear to ear as he leaned into Klaus for a bit of support. "Are you drunk?" Klaus questioned, without even getting an answer from Damon, he could tell by the soon to be father's face and on his breath that he indeed had consumed a few alcoholic beverages.

"We're having a little girl." Damon stammered out, his head feeling heavy and his stomach feeling even more queasy than before he had found out the news.

Klaus slowly turned towards him, a bit taken back by the news and Damon even knowing about the baby's gender. "How'd you find out? I thought that Rebekah didn't want to know." Klaus asked as he exhaled deeply, trying to straighten himself out, still feeling Damon's hands on his shoulders.

"Well, the doctor gave us this envelop when we went for the ultrasound and everything was great. But, then he came back and handed us an envelop with the baby's gender. Because he said we could find out if we really wanted to know. Rebekah and I made a little deal that neither of us would look at it. But, long story short...My curiosity got the best of me and I took a little peak at the papers that are in a locked drawer in my office." Damon swallowed hard and glanced up at Klaus with a small smile. "We're naming her, Harper Elizabeth Salvatore."

"Why are you telling me this?" Klaus questioned, his smile growing at the thought of his soon to be brother in law becoming a father.

"Because, I want to know...Is it easy raising a little girl?" Damon asked him with a look of pure horror on his face. Klaus glanced down at his shoes, inhaling sharply. What was he going to tell him? No. It wasn't easy because at times Klaus wasn't even sure if he was doing a good job with raising Sarah. Although, he knew that he was trying his best and maybe that small chunk of hope was enough at times.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Damon. It sure as hell isn't easy raising any child. Although, let me tell you a little secret..." Klaus's voice trailed off as he leaned into him and whispered softly. "Just try your best and make sure that you love her mother. Because, that woman who is going to help you make sure that you don't screw up is going to also keep you grounded and remind you that you're a good dad. Even on the days that feel like you're not doing a good job at all."

Klaus felt Damon finally step away from him, trying his best to not slur out his words, although the alcohol that he had consumed was making it harder and harder to think clearly. "Thanks man. Ha, I'm going to be a dad. And then, later when Rebekah and I are settled..We're getting married. Doing it all completely oppositely." Damon laughed at himself, stumbling away from Klaus as he turned to see his best friend place his hands into his pockets and shake his head. "Think about what I said Damon."

"Sure will!" Damon shouted back, walking over straight to Rebekah and leaning down to kiss her lips. Klaus watched with a proud and gleeful smile on his face as Damon leaned down and kissed her belly, placing his hands on to her stomach and whispering something in her ear that was making her smile and laugh.

"It's beautiful, isn't it." Klaus heard a voice coming from behind him. She was wrapped in a cream colored shawl that was matching her wrap around dark green Michael Kors dress that she was wearing.

"Truly is, mother. Caroline did an amazing job decorating the backyard for this event." Klaus commented, watching as Esther came to stand next to her son. "I heard about all the things that the two of you went through over the last year and I'm honestly happy that you both were able to make things work for your relationship and for that beautiful little girl you have." Esther told him, wrapping her arm around her son's as she leaned her head on his shoulder and they both continued to watch Rebekah sitting in the middle of a small stage as the crowd of around 100 people had gathered to celebrate her and the baby.

"I'm happy for all three of my children. Seeing you together like this and all of you happy with the ones you love. It warms my heart." Esther told him honestly, sniffling back her tears as still she held on to Klaus's arm and she felt him place his hand on top of hers as he spoke softly to her. "I'm glad your here."

Esther smiled, swallowing down the lump that was starting to form inside of her throat as she sighed out a breath. "I can't wait to meet the little baby." She grinned, adding in quickly. "So, are you and Caroline planning on adding more children to your growing family?"

Klaus glanced over at her for the first time since she had been standing near his side. His eyes were watery and his voice cracked a little as he spoke to her. Klaus had always felt like he could tell their mother anything and everything. And, he loved that she never once judged him, even for his wrong doings. He remembered the night that he had called her and told her about Caroline almost leaving him and breaking their family apart, months ago. Esther had calmly told her son not to worry and to try and do everything he could to win his wife back. To not blame her or himself for the mistakes they had both made. Instead, to try and work on themselves and their relationship.

"I want another baby, one of these days. Although, Caroline seems reluctant to it. She wants to go back to work. You know when I met her, she was an interior decorator and event planner. It's what she loves to do and I promised that I'd support her in whatever she decided to do. I even had told her that I could stay at home with the children until they were old enough to be dropped off at daycare or be with a nanny." Klaus explained, seeing his mother give him a sweet and honest look.

"I'm sure you'll both figure it out. You know, I'm not just saying that because I want you two to give me another beautiful grandchild." Esther chuckled, leaning over and kissing her son's cheek as she sighed and added in softly. "I love you all so much and all I've ever wanted for the three of you is nothing but happiness."

"And, we want that for you too." Klaus told her, placing his arm around his mother and pulling her closer as they stood in the middle of the backyard, watching all their guests while each of them flaked around a very pregnant and tired looking Rebekah.

* * *

"So, can we talk business at this table or is that completely forbidden?" Katherine smirked, hearing Elijah laugh as he grabbed a hold of her hand and smiled. "Depends on what kind of business you want to talk about, darling."

She shook her head, not even wanting to wipe the smile off her face that was all happening because of him. "Well, it's about Jenna and our moving away. Also, giving Elena my position at Dasells. I need to make sure that she's ready for this, Elijah. I can't just leave her by herself..I owe her." Katherine's voice trailed off as she looked up and sudden confusion spread across her face.

"What's she doing here?" Katherine asked, looking up to see Lexi Branson standing just a few feet away from Stefan. She had her hand firmly placed on his arm and was holding a yellow envelop in her hands that looked highly important.

"Maybe she wants to take you back to jail." Damon joked from behind Katherine, earning him a glaring stare from both her and Elijah.

"Sit down and just wait until she walks back over here." Elijah instructed, attempting to pull her down so that she was sitting back in her seat. Katherine closed her eyes and pulled her hand away from him.

"No, I want to find out what she's doing here." Katherine told him. Elijah and Damon both sat at the table and watched as Katherine marched over to Lexi, not being able to make out what the two women were talking about.

"What do you think she wants?" Elijah asked him, a worried tone in his voice.

"To arrest her again. Hell, I don't know!" Damon replied back, leaning over to grab another beer. Although the swatting of Elijah's hand stopped him. "I know that you are nervous about being a dad. So, am I. But, I think you've also had enough for one night my friend. Just, lay back on the drinks."

"Katherine's pregnant? Ha, you two don't waste any time...Don't ya?" Damon questioned, stopping his laughing abruptly as he noticed that Elijah was rubbing his temples in frustration. "No, she's not pregnant, Damon...I'm going to ask her to adopt Ethan tonight. I know that he still doesn't know me very well. But, I love her and I don't want to waste anytime being apart from Katherine or from the opportunity of being a father to her son."

Damon scratched his head, rubbing his hands over his face and trying to calm his breathing. "What do you mean..Waste no time?" He paused, staring at Elijah for a long moment until he realized what he was trying to tell him. "You're going to ask her to marry you, aren't you?"

Elijah looked back up at where Katherine was now hugging Lexi and a sense of total confusion swept across him. Although, he smiled widely and nodded. "Yeah, I am." He commented softly staring back up at Katherine as he if wasn't able to take his eyes off of her.

* * *

"Thank you!" Katherine told her excitedly as she backed away from Lexi who was giving Stefan an apologetic look for showing up so unannounced.

"You're welcome. Although, you need to remember that you're still going to need to check in with me from time to time. You are still going to be on probation. So, any change of address, any change like that needs to be reported back to me." Lexi reminded her as Katherine nodded, glancing down at the ugly black device that had been on her ankle for what felt like ages now.

"So, when can I take it off and you know, be a semi free woman again?" She asked as Lexi smiled and huffed out a breath.

"Come by my office in the morning and we can take it off." Lexi told her as Katherine laughed a little, glancing down at it for a moment.

"Thank you again. And, I'm sorry for everything I put you through." Katherine told her with a sincere tone. She watched as Lexi nodded and cleared her throat. "Take care of yourself, Katherine and whatever you do, remember that family is more important than anything." Lexi told her, seeing Katherine smile as she told Lexi over her shoulder that she'd be seeing her early in the morning to remove the ankle monitor and discuss the new details of her probation.

* * *

"Will you do me a favor and watch them both, just for a few minutes?" Elena heard Katherine ask as she pointed back at the two little kids who were coloring at the table. Sarah and Ethan were smiling and giggling with each other as Elena looked back over at Katherine.

"You want me to babysit Ethan and Sarah right now?" Elena questioned hesitantly as Katherine nodded.

"Yeah, I need to go talk to Elijah and I can't watch him. Please, Elena?" She asked in a begging tone as Elena opened her mouth to say something. But, Stefan's hands on her back made her pause. "It's just a few minutes. We can't screw up that badly." Stefan replied, waving Katherine off as he turned back to the table where Sarah and Ethan were coloring and giggling about something.

"You ready for this?" Stefan asked her softly, placing his hand on to the middle of her back as Elena grabbed a hold of his other hand and squeezed it tightly. "It's practice." She smirked, dragging him towards the table and taking a seat beside the two kids that hadn't even noticed that anyone else was there until Sarah dropped the red colored crayon down on to the table.

"Can I call you auntie Elena. Since, I call Stefan...Uncle Stefan?" She asked with wide blue eyes and a smile that made Elena's heart melt.

"Yes, I'd love that." Elena told her, looking over their drawings.

Stefan folded his hands on the table and leaned over, snatching Sarah's coloring from her hands as she glanced over at him with confusion. "Who's this supposed to be?" He asked as he placed it back on to the table and looked over at Elena who was paying attention to what Ethan was doing. She was asking him questions about his drawing and telling him how well he was doing with coloring within the lines.

"It's supposed to be the whole family. You, auntie Rebekah, uncle Damon, mommy, daddy, auntie Katherine, uncle Elijah..." Sarah began listing off as Stefan smiled as he noticed that underneath what he assumed to be Elena's stick figure. Sarah had written with brown colored pencil _'auntie Elena.'_

"Is this Elena?" Stefan asked, wanting to get clarification from the little girl. Although, he was already pretty sure since she had labeled Elena's name underneath.

Sarah nodded, turning towards Elena with a smile so wide that it looked as if it was going to hurt her cheeks. Stefan watched as Sarah leaned over and placed her little hand over Elena's as she announced. "It is uncle Stefan. I put auntie Elena in the picture because she's part of the family now."

Stefan couldn't stop smiling at her words as he looked over at her, Elena and then to Ethan. They watched as he grabbed a hold of Elena's left hand, running his finger over her engagement ring as he said in agreement. "She sure is, kiddo. She really is."

* * *

"You know about the baby!" Rebekah nearly shouted at him as she watched her drunken fiance flop onto the bed in their bedroom, a huge grin forming across his lips.

"I didn't want to know. Although, the envelop was so tempting and it was there..And, you know...I just- I got curious!" Damon told her defensively, attempting to explain his actions. He slowly lifted up his head and watched as Rebekah sat on the edge of their bed, slipping off her shoes that were making her feet swell.

"Will it make a difference if I told you that I can't wait to meet our baby either way." He smirked, whining as Rebekah slowly moved over to his side of the bed and swatted at his arm. He watched when she took a pillow from the chair in the room and hit him with it, hard.

"NO. IT. WON'T!" She yelled playfully, hitting Damon over the head as he covered his face with his arms and got up, wrapping his arms around her and trying his best to calm her down.

"You're going to be on bed rest soon, sweetie. Stress isn't good for our child." Damon gleefully reminded her, making sure to not tell her that they indeed were having a little girl and that Rebekah had been right all along.

"I know. But, until then. I'm going to make sure that you don't tell me anything. Because, if you do..I'll make sure that you won't live it down. Besides, don't you have a meeting or something for tomorrow morning that you should be sobered up for?" Rebekah asked, licking her lips and clasping her hands together with his.

"We should get married before the baby comes. Go down to the courthouse and just get it done already. I'd rather be called your husband than your baby daddy." Damon said out loud, avoiding the topic of the meeting that he knew he was going to have in the morning and the thought of going to it completely hung over made everything a thousand times worse.

"Married? Damon..." Her voice trailed off as she watched him place his hands on to her stomach and leave a kiss just above her belly button.

"Come on, bexs! We've been engaged for a long time and now, with the baby coming. Don't you want to be a Salvatore?" He asked her with pride in his tone as she nodded. Of course, she wanted to be his wife more than anything. However, Rebekah also wanted their child to be a part of the wedding once they did decide to go through with it. She sighed out a breath, noticing that Damon had moved over and he was now patting the space beside him so that she could lay down.

"Let's sleep on it." Rebekah quietly stated, glancing over at Damon to see a small frown upon his face.

She waved her hands up, smiling as the engagement ring glistened in the light. "Now, don't worry. We'll get the chance to be an old married couple in no time. How about a step at a time. Baby first, then watching our little boy or girl be a part of our wedding. You know, that's been a dream of mine ever since I found out that we were expecting." Rebekah told him as he turned his head to smile at her. She did have a point, maybe rushing every thing at once wasn't such a good idea.

"Fine. Baby first and then we'll make it official. You'll finally be my wife." Damon replied to her, kissing her cheek and placing his arm gently around Rebekah as he felt her lean her head against his shoulder and sleepily reply with a soft tone. "I like the sound of that."

Damon smiled and exhaled deeply, making small circles on the top of her stomach and watching the fabric bunch up because of his hand motions. "I like the sound of that too." He commented, kissing her lips softly and pulling the covers over them both as sleep began to set in.

* * *

"Do you really think that I'll be good at the new job?" Elena asked Stefan the next morning as she got ready for the day. She had received a text message from Katherine telling her to meet her at one of the conference rooms in Dasells so that they could discuss a few important things that Katherine had felt Elena should know.

"You will be amazing at it." Stefan mumbled, his chest wet and bare from the shower that he had just taken. He smiled in the mirror as he watched Elena lean her head back against his shoulder, sighing out a deep breath and wrapping his arms around her stomach.

"I hope so." Elena muttered as she felt Stefan's hands moving to the front of her dark purple colored buttons of her long Calvin Klein plunging v-neck dress that she had decided to wear for her meeting.

"You look the part." Stefan smirked against her neck, leaving a chaste kiss upon her flesh.

"You smell the part too." He commented, licking his lips and inhaling her floral scent as she ran her hand over the back of his neck and closed her eyes.

"If I had more time, I'd say let's stay in bed together all day." Elena said, grinning a little as she watched Stefan's green gaze turn hopeful for a minute. That was until he remembered that he too had a meeting on the same floor.

"How about between breaks for our little meetings. I can steal you away for a little while. You know, watching you last night with Sarah and Ethan got me thinking..." Stefan's hopeful tone filled her ears as she smiled at the short moment she had shared with Caroline and Katherine's children. She wanted children of her own. She wanted to see Stefan be a father and herself being a mother. Although, after everything that they had gone through. Elena was still hesitant and he could tell.

"I know that you said we should wait and I agree with that. But, Elena you'd be an amazing mother and I promise that I'll be there for our kids. I'm going to be the best father and husband that I can be. I swear." Stefan vowed with pure honesty and without any doubts about her parental abilities in his mind. He loved her and all he had ever wanted was for her to live the happy and full life he thought she deserved.

Stefan watched as she slowly turned around in his arms, placing her forehead against his own as their eyes met. She swallowed down the lump in her throat that was forming from what he had just told her. No man had ever said anything as sweet and endearing as he did and it made Elena's worry dissolve fairly quickly. "Let's try for a baby." She mumbled out abruptly, seeing Stefan's eyes fill with hope and excitement as he placed his hands firmly on to her hips and stood back for a minute with disbelief, for a long drawn out moment- Stefan was stunned at her words.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, licking his lips and cupping her face into the palm of his hands as she nodded with watery eyes. "Yes, I am." Elena replied, nodding her head repeatedly and feeling as Stefan wiped away her falling tears while she sniffled.

"Elena, we can wait. You know, once the merger is over and-." The pressure of her fingertip against his lips made him stop talking as her hand slipped underneath his chin and she smiled widely through her tears. "The night of our honeymoon..." She paused, exhaling deeply as she locked her eyes on to him. "I'll stop taking my birth control and we'll try, a few times." She stated, smiling widely and leaning in to kiss his lips as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. "I love you." She said, holding him closer than she had ever held him before as she felt Stefan's arms wrap around her and he smiled against her face. "I love you too." Stefan told her with a firm tone.

* * *

"What is all this?" Elena asked, opening the door to the conference room and glancing up to see Katherine sitting at the head of the table with a large poster board and what looked like pictures of herself in not so flattering outfits.

"I thought you called me in here to talk about the business and how I was going to succeed. Not, your old outfits." Elena said with a laugh, making her way into the room and seeing Katherine stand up, clicking the pen in her hands as she placed her palms firmly on the table and announced. "This is the do's and don't's of being in the spot light. Before you learn everything I'm going to teach you about Dasells and how to handle it all. I want to make sure that whenever you are photographed outside of the house. That you don't make yourself look hideous." Elena raised her eyebrows at her sister, scoffing at her words as she took a seat just a few chairs away from her.

"So, this is going to be like that tv show 'What Not To Wear?'" Elena questioned, stifling a laugh as Katherine nodded with agreement.

"Yes, it is. And, since I want you to succeed. I'm going to do everything I damn well can to make sure that you look good too." Katherine stated with an informative tone as Elena placed her face into her hands and sighed out a breath. She should have taken Stefan up on his offer of escaping into an empty conference room during a bathroom break or something because the thought of Katherine chatting away for hours about things she didn't understand was making her head hurt.

"Can't you just give me part of your speech and we can skip all the rest of it?" Elena asked with a hopeful tone as she heard Katherine let out a loud laugh, making Elena face the fact that her hopeful question clearly wasn't an option.

"Not a chance. Look, I'm sure you and Stefan can reschedule your little rendezvous for another time." Katherine stated, watching Elena's cheeks blush.

"How did you-" She began to say as Katherine tapped her left hand against the table and sighed out a breath. "Oh please, I could tell what you two wanted to do with each other the moment I came into the hallway and dragged you away from him this morning."

"Katherine, I..." Her voice trailed off, a little unaware of what she was going to say to try and prevent her sister from thinking that all she was focused on was her alone time with Stefan and sneaking away with him.

"I know. You don't care about any of this right now. The way people will view you, if you dress shitty, the notes and things your employees will say about you during important business meetings and speeches that you're going to be holding on behalf of Dasells. I know that you don't care. Because, I was the same way when I started out. But, I can promise you that the first bad news report or magazine article that comes out with your name splashed across the front of it. I'm pretty damn sure that, that exact moment is when you will care! So, listen up little sister. And by little sister I do mean that. Isobel told me that when we were born I was a few minutes earlier. So, I'm a little older." Katherine said with a bright smile as she watched Elena grab a hold of her head and run her fingers through her hair vigorously.

"How am I going to remember all of this and how long is this going to take?" She questioned as Katherine snickered a little and once more tapped her fingernails against the table. "It's going to go until you realize that I'm not doing this to make you feel trapped. Elena, I'm trying to help you because I want you to be even better than I was. And, don't worry it will all come back to you the moment you stand up on that stage in front of all those people who are sponsors, donors and investors in our business and tell them all what your about to learn." Katherine stated, turning around and taking a large stack of papers into her hands. Elena watched with fear in her eyes as she tossed them on to the table and smirked. "The do's and don't's of working in a large cooperation. I'm giving you a homework assignment." She smirked, seeing Elena's eyes narrow on her as Katherine leaned forward and added in softly. "Remember, I'm doing this because I care about you."

* * *

"So, you're off probation?" Elijah asked Katherine when she walked through the back door of the house later that afternoon. She had been with Elena for most of the day and he was missing her. He slowly made his way towards her as he saw her place her light blue tote bag on to the dining room table and shrug her shoulders back, popping the tension in her neck and the rest of her body.

"You're dressed up." She pointed out, smiling at seeing him in a crisp dark gray suit with a red tie and white undershirt. He looked handsome and she couldn't wait to get him all alone. However, the look on Elijah's face told Katherine that he was clearly hiding something from her.

"We didn't get to talk the other night at the baby shower that much. Every minute I tried getting you alone someone or something interrupted me. First, I wanted to talk about Ethan. I'm serious when I say that I want to adopt him as my own son." He smiled at her, pulling up a chair so that he was sitting right in front of a tired looking Katherine. Her eyes were closed and her head was leaning back as she glanced up at the ceiling and then finally at him. "I know." She replied softly, remembering the annoyance that she felt when Damon came knocking on the door and pulling Elijah out of his own office so that they could go dance with Rebekah on the makeshift dance floor that Caroline had helped decorate.

"So, what's the occasion?" Katherine asked Elijah with a soft spoken tone as her tired eyes tried to adjust on his face. She blinked at him a few times as his smile never once faded. She felt him grab a hold of her left hand, squeezing it just a little and sighing out a deep breath.

"I know that the divorce with my soon to be ex wife, Rose isn't completely finalized yet. But, being with you these last few days and spending time with Ethan at your mothers house and tonight at the baby shower has made me realize that I want to live in the moment with you, Katherine. I don't care what everyone else will think or say about us because all that matters is that I love you. And, we're going to be building a life together sooner rather than later." He said to her, watching Katherine's brown eyes grow wide as she processed his words. "Are you saying what I think your saying?" She asked him, watching Elijah slowly dig for something in his right pocket. She could feel him place whatever it was on her lap, the smooth texture and feeling of the little box caused a shiver to run over her body.

"Yes, Katrina. I am saying what you think I'm saying." Elijah confirmed as he cupped her right cheek into the palm of his hand and leaned forward to kiss her lips gently.

"I love you, Katherine. And, I want to spend the rest of my life being your husband and being a father to your amazing son, Ethan. Only if you'd agree upon one little thing." He told her, watching her eyes open just a little as she glanced down at the open box that was now sitting on his knee. Elijah had moved the chair back and was now bent down on one of his knees on the ground, smiling at her proudly.

Katherine was quiet for a while, clutching on to his hand and staring down at the box with the trinity ruban Cartier engagement ring with a silver band and large diamond that was shining in the light and making her eyes sparkle. "Yes! Yes..I'll-." A laugh escaping Elijah's lips caused her to pause as he got up and kissed her forehead. "I didn't even ask you yet." He smiled, brushing back her hair with his hands as she locked her eyes on to him again, this time never breaking her gaze.

"I don't care. Because, my answer would have always been the same. Yes, Elijah. I will marry you." Katherine excitedly told him, pushing up from the chair and wrapping her arms around him as he held her tightly and kissed her face, then her neck and went back to her lips. She felt him stop for a minute as he backed away with his arms still tightly embracing her small frame while he spoke. "I will never disappoint you or make you unhappy. I promise, Katherine. I promise to be the best husband that I can be to you and the best father I can be to Ethan."

* * *

**A/N: Date night, wedding dress shopping and some sexy time for one of our couples will be coming up in the next update. Let's just say that everyone will be very happy! ;)**

**Please let me know what you all think and for those of you who are interested in reading another one of my fanfics...Please check out my newest story called "Dangerous Minds." I promise that you will not be disappointed! The new story can be found here: s/10683415/1/Dangerous-Minds  
**

**-Until Next Time-**

 


	42. Chapter Forty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey all! Thank you guys so much for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting this story. As I previously said, I will be bring this story to a close within the next chapter. So, brace yourselves. Because, this last update is going to be pretty adorable for all of the chaarcters in this story. :)**

**Follow me for updates at: BePassionate_24**

* * *

**Within Temptation- Chapter Forty- Two **

"So, how'd it go with Katherine?" Stefan asked Elena, pouring himself a class of bourbon as he glanced over at her. She seemed a little distant. She had taken the opportunity once Katherine left for the afternoon to sneak into his office and she was really hoping that her sister was too busy with something else to be tracking her down. Clearly, since she hadn't been calling her phone and searching for her, Elena was right.

"It went fine, she just filled my head with too much information." Elena whined, rubbing her temples and hearing Stefan let out a laugh. It wasn't that funny. But, seeing Elena a little stressed out over something that he found fairly simple and numbers that he could crunch in his sleep, seemed to be a little silly.

"She's doing it because she wants the best for you." Stefan reminded her, taking a seat on the edge of the desk and watching Elena get up too as she leaned her head against his chest and sighed. Things were getting stressful, all she could seem to think about was the upcoming wedding, how she hadn't found a dress yet and how so many things seemed unfinished. Stefan could sense the worry on her face as he cupped her chin into his hands and locked his eyes on to hers. "We're going to be just fine." He reminded her as Elena pulled him close and exhaled deeply. "Take me far away from here, somewhere warm." She smiled.

Stefan cleared his throat, rubbing her back and playfully lifting the hem up of Elena's lavender colored blouse. "We're alone you know. I might not be able to take you some place warm right now. But, I can distract your mind." Stefan told her in a seductive tone as she felt his legs spread out and she stepped in the middle. Her hands were laying flat on his chest as a smile played across her face from his words.

"We're in your office and the blinds are still open." She replied, glancing back at him as he slide off the desk and caressed her face while she moved to the side of him. Elena watched with a fluttering feeling in her stomach when Stefan walked towards the door, pulling the handle and making sure it was locked before he closed the blinds shut, turning back to her with a smirk on his face.

"So, what do you suggest we do now. Mr. Salvatore?" She asked him playfully, making slow calculated steps towards him as Stefan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know, Miss Gilbert. I was thinking that my new employee and I could do some damage in this office." He teased back, shrugging off his suit jacket and allowing it to fall to the ground beneath his feet. Elena's heart felt like it was pounding a mile a minute as the adrenaline and excitement rushed through her veins the moment that Stefan stepped over it without a care.

"Damage in your office?" She giggled a little, turning her back to him and slowly lifting her shirt over her head, tossing it on to the floor. Stefan watched her turn back around with a twinge of admiration in her brown gaze. She was wearing a red lacy bra as she stood near the desk, her black pencil skirt still hugged her body and accented her hips as her black stilettos tried to keep her steady on her already weakened knees.

"What kind of damage?" Elena questioned, a playful laugh leaving her lips as Stefan glance down at his shoes, huffing out a breath.

"One that involves that desk your leaning against, maybe even that chair." Stefan added, pursing his lips together and winking at her as Elena heaved out a gasp. He tilted his head to the side as he lowered one strap of his light tan colored suspenders that were clipped to his pants, holding them in place.

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched him make his way towards her, a look of lust and desire filling his green gaze. "We probably shouldn't.." Elena began to protest as Stefan glanced around the room, placing his finger against her lips and inhaling deeply.

"Everyone left early for the day. We're alone and you are making it really hard for me to stay away from you right now." Stefan told her, hovering his lips a few centimeters away from her ear as Elena closed her eyes and leaned her head back, smiling as he kissed her neck. She placed her hands flatly on his desk as she slide her body up and she felt Stefan step in between her legs, his hands lingering on her bare exposed thighs.

"I like this skirt, looks nice." He commented, his hands running up and down her thighs. Elena's body tingled with the way Stefan's soft skin caressed her body, his lips kissing the middle of her cleavage as she gave him more access to her neck while leaning her head back.

"I like it too." She stammered out, trying to think of anything else to say. But, her words were lost at the feeling of his hands moving in between her legs, caressing her effortlessly.

"So, is this what you had in mind when you wanted me alone?" Elena asked, a breathy tone escaping out of her mouth as she tried her damnedest to keep her pulse under control. But, the more that Stefan moved his hands to her pulsating core, Elena was losing her train of thought.

"Actually, I did." He smiled mischievously as he took her hands and placed them on his chest. Elena leaned into Stefan so that they were chest to chest, locking her eyes on to him.

"Good, because I was thinking we could revisit that baby thing." She smiled, placing a kiss against his jawline as her hands began to unbutton the crisp light green dress shirt he was wearing, kissing the warm and soft bare skin underneath her hands as she moved closer to him, wrapping her legs around Stefan's waistline and pressing her heels into his backside.

"Really?" He asked, placing his hand upon her cheek and smiling widely as Elena closed her eyes to his touch and inhaled deeply. "Yeah, really." She confirmed, moving towards him a bit more and colliding her lips with his as Stefan groaned against the open mouthed kisses that Elena was deepening between them.

* * *

Stefan's hands were firmly gripping her hips as he moved them so that Elena was sitting in his lap on the chair in his office. The chair was firmly planted on the ground and Stefan was thankful that it didn't have wheels as his lips moved with quick precision , kissing every single spot that he could find of Elena's skin with his eyes closed. Her skirt had long ago been hiked up above her hips and she was now pressing her chest against his own. He was warm and his skin soft. Stefan smelled like a clean cut after shave which was driving Elena crazy with need, hunger and the absolute desire to rip every inch of clothing from his body.

Stefan sharply inhaled as her long fake french tipped manicured nails raked over his bare chest while he leaned back into the chair and she rolled her hips forward, brushing her lace bra against his chest. Elena's floral scented perfume consumed his thoughts as he pushed back her hair and felt her body shiver from the simple touch. "I love you so much." She grinned, leaning into him and kissing his neck.

Elena noticed his green eyes flutter shut. Stefan's hands rubbed up and down her arms while gently lowering her bra straps. Elena had pressed herself against him so much so that he was pretty sure that he could feel her own heart beat rapidly hitting against her ribcage at his slow and agnozing movements.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, gently moving his hands to the middle of her back, unclasping her bra with a slow and sensual motion as Elena's hands undid the zipper to his suit pants and she caressed his groin, smiling wickedly while he closed his eyes and leaned his head back. The things she did to him, drove him mad.

She could feel him kiss her shoulder, his mouth leaving chaste kisses on her wrists and then moving back up towards her lips as he placed his hands onto her face and stared at her for a moment, memorized by how beautiful she looked with the fading light from the sky light above their heads outlining her features. Elena nodded, she was sure about it for a while now. Ever since she had gotten the news from her fertility doctor about being able to possibly have a child. She knew that all she wanted was for it to be with no one other than Stefan. All they had needed was the right time, and right now with no one around them- it was the right time.

"Yes." She breathed against his lips, grasping his chin into her hands and tilting it down so that his eyes were level with her own. Stefan leaned forward, pressing her firmly against him as he felt her push down against his groin again- this time a bit more roughly, rocking her hips against his already trembling body while sending a feeling of hunger for him through her own. "Stefan.." She hissed out at the way his hands gripped her tightly, allowing her make her movements a bit more meaningful.

Elena paused, locking her eyes on to him as Stefan got up and lowered her back gently on to the desk. He was hovering over her while Elena's arms swiped a stack of paperwork off on to the ground and then she heard what sounded like a picture frame crash on to the ground as she placed her lips against his with a rough and intense kiss. Elena could feel Stefan's hands working quickly now, his gentle caresses that they had just shared moments ago were becoming fast paced and needy. Stefan kissed her shoulder, licking and sucking down his mouth on her flesh while she leaned her back forward and heaved out a shaky breath.

"Don't be a tease." Elena said out loud, feeling his fingers run over her entrance that was throbbing with anticipation as her head felt dizzy from the rush of passion.

"We're completely unprepared for this whole sex in my office thing." Stefan laughed, kissing her exposed stomach as he began removing her underwear with his teeth. Elena's back arched forward, her hands tugging through his short stranded brown hair as Stefan's front teeth graze against her heated stomach and caused her muscles to contract.

"I don't care." Elena breathed out, closing her eyes and hearing what sounded like the removal of Stefan's pants. Her eyes opened just briefly with the motion of Stefan's firm grip pulling her to him and she slowly lifted up her body so that they were once again chest to chest. Elena could feel her vision becoming blurry and her skin as if it was being set on fire the minute her underwear slide down to her ankles and Stefan licked his lips.

Stefan groaned as he pressed up against her, pulling her into him and glancing at her. "I need you all to myself." He spoke with what sounded like an anguished tone that forced a small smile to form across her lips. Elena pressed her mouth against his, allowing her tongue to slip into his mouth as Stefan breathed out a breath and kissed her with a rough kiss.

"You have me, right where you want me." Elena taunted back, pausing for a moment and panting out a breath as she felt Stefan break their contact. He had collapsed back into the black leather office chair, his shirt undone and sliding down his shoulders as Elena climbed on top of him and smirked while leaning into his neck and tugging down on his earlobe with her mouth. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling aroused by the once again heated contact between them while she whispered into his ear with a seductive tone. "I'm all yours." Stefan's response was silent for a moment, his hands gripped on to her hips as he moaned sweetly into Elena's ear, feeling the electricity build between them while she worked her pelvic muscles against his own. Elena gripped on to his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as she felt Stefan place his hand in between her legs just before she pulled her hips deeper against him, biting back another moan that was threatening to escape past her mouth. Elena breathed a deep sigh as she heard Stefan utter out breathlessly "And, I have you right where I want you." She could feel his mouth moving across her chest, kissing her and making her skin crawl as she allowed herself to indulge in the rhythmic and slow thrusts that Stefan had began to set between them.

* * *

"The merger's almost halfway done." Damon said into his cell phone, walking through the halls of Dasells as he suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. He had forgotten his briefcase in his office, which was right across from Stefan's. He hadn't planned on working late. But, with the baby coming soon and the extra importance of how big of a deal the merger was. Damon knew that someone aside from Stefan had to work on it as well.

"We've got everything in place. All I need is Stefan to sign some paperwork and then we can send it off to be-. Damn it!" Damon cursed, remembering that indeed, Stefan had to sign one last piece of paper before they could even consider sending off the details and paperwork to get on the process of finalizing a merger which usually could take months as they waited for approval.

"Rebekah, I need to go get some of my things and then I'll be home. Just, relax and don't do anything. I'll be home soon." Damon reminded her, hoping that she'd actually listen to him since she was getting closer and closer to her due date and within the last week the doctors had placed her on bed rest. He knew how much she hated it. Although, Damon didn't want her stressing out about anything.

"Alright, I'll be here. Watching reruns of _"_ _The Real Housewives_ _of Orange County."_ Listening to my mother talk about nursery colors that we should paint and of course, getting fatter." She complained into the phone as Damon laughed and shook his head.

"I'll be home soon to join in on your misery, sweetie. I love you." He smiled, telling her that he loved her once more while hanging up and making his way back to his office. Damon paused though as he began walking, in the distance he could see Elena and Stefan walking out of Stefan's office. Their clothing disheveled, her hair a mess and his shirt unbuttoned as he pulled her into him for one more deeply affection kiss.

"Oh, there you are! I've been working my ass off all day with this merger thing and you two have been playing hooky in Stefan's office. How cute, for the soon to be married couple!" Damon shouted, running up towards them both as he noticed Elena's face reddened. She was trying to hide the glistening twinkle in her eyes that always seemed to happened right after she had spent some very much needed alone time with Stefan.

"Nice sex hair, Elena. Stefan, nice hickey on your neck and lipstick strain on your shirt." He observed as he watched his younger brother begin pulling his shirt close.

"Cover up, Fabio." Damon teased, smiling over at Elena who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, not saying a word.

"Aren't you two cute? Sex in the office. Nice touch, Stef." Damon joked, catching Elena glaring at him.

"Shut up, Damon." Elena replied as she took a step forward and pulled her body against Stefan's. Elena placed her hand flatly on his chest and glanced up at him with such an admiring gaze that it made Damon smile. He was happy for Stefan, happy that his younger brother was obviously in love and in a good spot with his fiancee.

"Oh come on. It's obvious you two just got done having sex in there and I'm not blind." Damon winked, stepping past them as he heard Stefan clear his throat. He now had his arm wrapped around Elena's body and his chin was resting gently on the top of her head as Stefan smiled over at his lolder brother and firmly announced. "We're trying for a baby, Damon."

Damon slowly turned back around, his blue eyes wide with a smirk on his face. "Really?" He questioned, watching them both nod.

There was silence between the three of them for a while as Damon glanced over at them and then he took a step towards Stefan, placing his hand firmly on to his shoulder. "Well, maybe next time you two should do it in the bedroom, these walls are fairly thin." He reminded them with a smile as he walked back towards his office and began laughing at how embarrassed Elena looked.

"You didn't..." Elena's voice trailed off as she buried her face deeper into Stefan's chest, not daring to look at Damon because of how red her face now was.

Damon paused near the door to his office, one of his feet almost inside and touching the wooden flooring as he turned back around and stated. "Oh, I heard enough. Thankfully, I didn't stick around for the actual heat of passion you two just shared. But, um...Congratulations on trying to make a baby." He added casually, closing the door behind him and leaving Stefan and Elena both in the middle of the hallway with utter looks of mortification on their faces.

* * *

Three days had passed since Damon had made her feel awkward at Dasells and Elena still wasn't over it. "He just stood there, like 'Oh, congratulations on trying to have a baby!'" Elena mocked him, flipping through a bridal catalog as she waited for Caroline's nails to dry. They had gotten out a bit and Katherine had recommend that the three of them try to spend some time together before the merger took place and before the chaos of planning a wedding for both Katherine and Elena took over as well.

"Well, Elijah and Rose finally finalized their divorced. The papers came in the mail this morning. He's meeting with his lawyer to finalize a few things and then, he can officially be you know, an unmarried- soon to be married to me- man." Katherine grinned, closing her eyes as the pedicurists in front of her began rubbing her sore calves up and down.

"Ugh, I started jogging again so that I can fit into some of these wedding dresses that I want to go and see. I am so sore!" Katherine told them both as Caroline smiled and leaned her head back, laughing.

"You two should just save money and have your weddings at the same time. My family, as you both know by now- we come from old money. Lots of it. And, there's this cabin out on the water in Timber Lake county that my parents just don't use anymore. After my grandparents passed away. My mother and father just kept it in the family because at one point, Klaus and I had wanted to move there instead of the big old city." Caroline explained, watching Elena's fingers stop skimming through the magazine in her hands.

"A cabin?" She asked as Caroline smiled proudly.

"Yes! It's beautiful, too. Right by the water and since it's getting colder and winter's coming. How perfect would a winter wedding be! " She stated as both Katherine and Elena glanced over at each other.

"Well, Elijah and I are newly engaged and I don't like winter weddings. So, Elena can have it. Since, her and Stefan are just jumping at the chance to get married already." Katherine replied, nudging her sister's shoulder with a smile. Elena sighed out a breath. She loved the winter months, she just wasn't really sure about the winter months in Illinois. They were fidgeted, below normal temperatures and she knew that she'd probably be freezing in a wedding dress if they had their reception outside.

"Everything can be arranged so that it's inside. And, besides once everyone leaves for the night. You and Stefan can have the whole place to yourselves." Caroline added in an enticing tone with a wink as both of the brunette's nodded their heads and Elena leaned her head back into her chair, closing her eyes.

"I'll have to talk to Stefan about it." She replied as her mind drifted off to just a few days ago and the last time they were truly alone. The sound of having a cabin all to themselves as part of the start to their honeymoon was sounding enticing already, the more she thought about it.

"I'm sure he'll say yes to it. I mean, he'd be stupid not to. Elena, what guy would give up the chance to be all alone in the middle of the woods with no one else around. Except for him and the woman he loves?" Caroline asked in a sing songy tone as she smiled and rubbed her hands together.

"Depends on the guy." Katherine stated as both Elena and Caroline laughed.

"So, speaking of men we love. How's Klaus?" Katherine questioned as Caroline huffed out a breath and smiled gleefully.

"He's taking me out tonight, a date night with a surpise." She told them both, feeling her cell phone go off as she turned to look at both Katherine and Elena who had seemed to all get the same message at the same time as Caroline had gotten.

" _You three better not have forgotten about me! Although, I am getting a nice view."_ Elena read out loud to the three of them, laughing and shaking her head as she glanced down at her cell phone and noticed that Rebekah had sent them all a picture of Damon and Stefan passed out in the middle of the nursery, pink paint on their clothing and their hands as Rebekah hovered over them with her pregnant belly and a displeased look on her face.

* * *

"Sleeping on the job?" Rebekah asked with an annoyed tone, kicking a closed paint can as it scratched against the surface of the floor, causing both Stefan and Damon to jump up to their feet from their sleeping slumbers.

"You shouldn't be in here." Damon told her firmly, picking himself up off the floor and marching Rebekah out of the nursery that still smelled a lot like fresh paint.

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on you two since you both like taking naps on the job." Rebekah argued in her defense, placing her hands on to her stomach as she clicked her tongue to the roof of her month and sighed deeply. "Get to work, boys. I'm expecting a lot more out of you two." Rebekah told them in a sassy tone, her hand brushing up against the door frame.

"Ugh, she's a tyrant!" Stefan mumbled, hearing Rebekah's foot stomp hard on the ground. She pivoted back around, glaring at him. "Be lucky that you and I ended when we did. Because, you clearly wouldn't know how to handle me."

Damon swallowed the lump in his throat, hearing Stefan laugh. "Oh, sweetheart. Believe me, we handled each other well from what I remember. I just think you're better suited for Damon. So, I let him have you."

"Good, because I completely agree." Rebekah smirked, pushing away from the door and leaving the brothers alone as she overheard them talking with hushed voices. "Stop talking about me, and get to work. While, I go back into bed and listen to those paint brushes and rollers moving." She smiled, waving at them both while popping her head back into the room for a minute before walking back down the hallway while whistling.

"Are you sure that you're ready for her to be your wife?" Stefan asked Damon as they both laughed.

"Of course, I am. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with that woman." Damon told him brightly, glancing back at where Rebekah had just stood not too long before.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Stefan smiled, hearing footsteps coming towards the nursery as his eyes met Elena's and she leaned her body against the door frame with an amused smile across her face.

"What are you three doing back so soon? I thought you'd all be gone for at least a few more hours." Stefan said as his green gaze followed Caroline and Katherine who all had equally excited expressions on their faces.

" We left early because Klaus called. He just got some news that he told me to share with you all. So, I thought we'd come back home early and do it face to face." Caroline stated, grinning from ear to ear as she tried to hide her excitement.

"What is it?" Stefan questioned, rolling up the sleeves to his dark blue thermal long sleeve shirt.

"The merger, it went through this afternoon. Klaus and Elijah went into a meeting without you. I know, what you're thinking. But, he met with a few executives and he said that you were busy. He explained that he was there on your behalf and the company's. Well, they went through all the paperwork with him as Jenna sat across from them all and he made it happen. My husband made the merger happen!" Caroline exclaimed, clapping her hands together as Stefan and Damon glanced over at her with stunned facial expressions.

"These things can take months, Caroline. Are you sure that's what he said?" Stefan tried to clarify as she nodded her head and stepped further into the room.

"Yes, he's meeting me for dinner in a little while. But, he wanted you all to know that two months from now, Jenna will be a partner and a part of Dasells." Caroline confirmed, turning back to Damon and Stefan as she smiled over her shoulder and added in. "Congratulations, boys."

* * *

"I'm late. I know. I dropped Sarah off at the babysitters and-." Caroline stopped talking the instant that Klaus locked his eyes on to her and twirled a pair of silver looking keys in his hands. His hands swiftly went back into his pockets as she glanced up at the house in which he seemed to be completely engrossed by.

"What's that?" Caroline asked, they were standing in front of a fairly nice looking house as Klaus stood near the steps and glanced at it. The bustling city noises filled the air as taxi's zoomed by them and Caroline stood next to her husband in front of what looked like a three bedroom house. It was everything that Caroline had dreamed of. A wrap around white porch, small and medium sized clay flower pots lining the railing, a red front door. The house was a dark green color with white shutters and a beautiful oak tree in the front near the sidewalk stood healthy and blew in the wind as she looked over to the sign that read in big red bold letters. "SOLD!"

"It's our new house." Klaus replied, grabbing a hold of her hand and tightening his grip around her fingers. Caroline stood speechless beside him as she curled her fingers around his and glanced up at it.

"It's beautiful...Are you sure it's ours?" He laughed as he finally tore his eyes away from the home and then stood in front of her, opening his mouth to answer her eager question. She felt his hands cup her cheeks, his thumbs rubbing against her face while she closed her eyes and sighed out a breath. "Really?" Caroline asked again.

"Yes, it's ours. And, I can't wait to move into it with you and our daughter. So, that we can start to expand that family we both want." He grinned, pulling Caroline into his embrace as they slowly walked towards the building and she thought about moving out of the townhouse they had been living in. His arm was wrapped around her and just as they stood up on the porch, in front of the door. Caroline pulled him in closer, her eyes deadlocking on to Klaus's.

"I love you more than you will ever know. This house will be our new start." She stated as Klaus kissed her forehead, pulling her into his embrace and whispering into her ear. "I know, sweetie. Because, I love you just as much. Welcome home, Caroline. Welcome to our future home." Klaus told her, opening the door and pulling her inside with him as they both giggled when he shut it and smiled sweetly at her as she repeated his words. "Welcome to our future home."

* * *

**A/N: Everyone's getting something to look forward too in these last few chapters. :') As I said before, the next chapter will be the last chapter to this story and it will have a small time jump. So, keep that in mind. :)**

**Thank you all for reading!**

**Also, if any of you would like to continuing reading some fairly interesting fanfiction from yours truly. Please check out my new story "Dangerous Minds." It only has 3 chapters to it so far. However, I do plan on adding more soon: s/10683415/1/Dangerous-Minds**

 


	43. Chapter Forty- Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

**A/N: Hey readers! I just wanted to say thank you all so much for allowing me to tell this story for so long. I have loved writing it so much and I'm really going to miss writing these characters. Anyways, with that being said here's the last chapter of "Within Temptation". And, thank you once more from the bottom of my heart for reading and reviewing, just all the support in general. I've loved reading all of your reviews and I have appreciated them so much!**

**Enjoy and please feel free to check out my other story "Dangerous Minds" if you want to continue reading stories from yours truly. :)**

* * *

** Within Temptation- Chapter Forty- Three  **

_**...2 months later...** _

"Have you thought about it, where we could live now that we're finally leaving?" Elijah asked Katherine, his arm lazily running up and down hers as they laid out on the patio, a fluffy and warm blanket under their bodies.

"It's going to snow tonight." Katherine mused, curling up closer to Elijah as he kissed her cheek and sighed deeply. "I was thinking Wyoming or something, far away from Chicago. We could move to Hawaii. I've always loved a tropical climate." He smirked, feeling her turn in his arms. She placed her hand against his chest and grinned widely. "Hawaii, hmm. We could live on the big Island and grow pineapples year around." She laughed, shaking her head at the thought before she added in. "Wyoming, really? I can't see you being a cattle farmer."

"I'd be the boss of the cattle farm, hire a bunch of people to do the work for me, darling." Elijah commented smugly, getting swatted on the arm by Katherine as she laughed.

"We could move to Europe, live in Paris or England." She suggested, hearing him laugh as he ran his fingers through her hair and they both glanced up to feel what felt like a damp and ice cold substance hit their faces.

"It's snowing." Katherine whispered, pulling herself up to her feet as Elijah did the same, telling her that they should get back inside of the house before they froze to death.

"No, it's going to be our last winter here, for a while. We might as well enjoy it." She smiled, pulling him close and feeling as he wrapped their bodies up into the blanket that had been laying on the dried and cold patio beneath them just a little while earlier.

"I love you and no matter where life takes us. I promise to be by your side." Elijah vowed, kissing Katherine's cheek while nuzzling his chin into her curly dark brown locks.

"I love you too." She said, tightening her own arms around herself and around his arms as they stood silently together on the patio for a while. But, the sound of Elijah's cell phone broke the bitter sweet moment between them as he took a step back and dug his phone from his jeans.

"Hello?" Elijah answered when he saw Damon's name flashing across the screen.

"Elijah, it's Rebekah. She's in labor!" Damon exclaimed excitedly, listening to Rebekah's older brother go silent as he exhaled deeply.

"We're on our way." He said firmly, hanging up and not even telling Damon a proper goodbye when he grabbed a hold of Katherine's hand and rushed her back into the house.

"What's going on?" She questioned suddenly, remembering that it was just the two of them since Caroline and Klaus had moved out last week and Stefan and Elena had planned on staying for two extra nights up at the cabin which their wedding had been held at, just hours before. Katherine had also remembered that the newlyweds were planning on leaving for their honeymoon in just a few hours from now.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Stefan and Elena, does it?" She asked him, her voice sounding a bit concerned. Maybe their flight had been canceled and they were coming back home, maybe Elena had decided at the last minute that she didn't want to be with Stefan, the possibilities were endless. However, the last one just seemed pretty crazy as Katherine shook the thoughts off.

"No, it's Rebekah. She's in labor." Elijah told her, smiling as he buttoned up his jacket and glanced around the room for his keys. "We need to get going. Damon already knows that Stefan and Elena won't be there for the arrival of the baby. But, we can at least be there, with Klaus and Caroline." Elijah replied, grabbing his keys off the hook near the door and telling Katherine to go wake up Ethan so that they could leave.

"Okay." Katherine told him, slowly making her way upstairs and to Ethan's bedroom as she opened the door and woke her son up. "Come on, baby." Katherine said in a hushed voice while she leaned over Ethan and his eye's popped open.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Ethan asked sleepily as Katherine leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Auntie Rebekah is in the hospital and she's having her baby. We're going to go visit her." Katherine smiled, sitting on the edge of her son's bed as he slowly got up and shivered at how cold the air around them was.

"It's cold, momma." Ethan replied, rubbing his arms up and down as Katherine looked around the room and grabbed a puffy dark blue boys jacket. "Here, put this on. We're going to bundle you up, okay?" She smiled, pushing his hair back with her hands and smiling lovingly at her son. Katherine pushed herself up as Ethan placed his hands into the sleeves of his jacket.

"I love you, baby boy." Katherine blurted out in the silence of the room as she watched him jump off his bed while she bent down to zip up his jacket. She wasn't really sure of what he'd say to her since living with Katherine in these last few weeks had been a huge adjustment for him.

"I love you too, momma." He replied slowly, wrapping his arms around Katherine's neck. She held him tightly, exhaling deeply and allowing a few tears to escape from her eyes as she repeated the words that she as his mother had been longing to hear... _"I love you too, momma.."_

* * *

"We should just stay like this for the rest of our time here." Elena smirked as she glanced back at the warm and brightly lit fire that was crackling behind them. Stefan's arm was loosely draped over her bare back as she laid beside him. Her head was on his chest, her hair sprawled out upon his upper body as she kissed the middle of his bare chest and ran her finger over the gunshot wound that he had suffered from Matt.

"I could have lost you that day." Elena reminisced, burying her face into the curve of Stefan's neck as his hand made small circles upon her skin.

"Thankfully, you didn't." He reminded her, kissing the top of her head and pulling the warm and plush feeling blanket over their naked bodies as Stefan held her close and sighed out a breath. "We're going to be in the Maldives in just hours." He smiled, intertwining their fingers and bringing Elena's hand up to his lips as he hummed to himself and cleared his throat.

"This afternoon when we exchanged vows in front of Damon, your brother, Katherine, a very pregnant and pissed off Rebekah who was skyping us from her hospital room and the rest of our family..." Stefan chuckled as he remembered Rebekah's face and how she had burst into tears while she watched Stefan and Elena exchange wedding rings and vows.

"What about it?" Elena asked, moving her aching feet that had began throbbing the moment she had kicked off her high heels on the dance floor outside.

"I never got to really say what I wanted to you, in front of everyone." Stefan told her, his hand still slowly moving up and down her back as she pulled her body close to him so that they were skin to skin. She felt warm and secure in his embrace, like nothing and no one could hurt her as she listened to him speak. "You're the love of my life and you've changed me into a better man. I love you, Elena and I promise that each day that we're together that I will cherish you, protect you and make sure you feel my love for you. Thank you for being my bright light when everything else around me was so dark."

Stefan leaned forward and pressed his lips against Elena's as she pulled him closer and rubbed her thigh against his lean calves. "I love you too and thank you for loving me." She soft replied while parting her lips as he smiled against hers and then kissed her deeply, pulling her down with him. Elena could feel his soft hand gliding up and down her back.

"Do you think the universe has a plan for us?" Elena questioned, leaning her head against Stefan's arm as he laid her down beside him and ran his fingers through her hair, watching her place her left hand with her glistening wedding ring against his chest.

"Yeah, we're going to grow old together, we're going to have a bunch of kids and we're going to love each other until our last days on earth. Pretty good plan, don't you think?" Stefan smiled, kissing her cheek and pulling her closer as Elena smiled at him through tears in her eyes and nodded her head.

"I love you so much." She grinned, feeling Stefan's thumbs wiping away her tears.

Stefan cleared his throat. "And, I love you too, Mrs. Elena Salvatore." He replied, wrapping her closer into his arms as he held her against his chest and pulled the blanket that they had been laying on over their bodies while he softly whispered against her ear before kissing her face. "The Maldives awaits us in the morning, sweetie. Time to get some sleep."

* * *

"Do you want to meet your daughter?" Rebekah asked in a tired voice, watching Damon gleefully smiling at her as he looked around the room. Katherine sat beside Elijah with Ethan in her lap while he slept against his mother's chest. There were tears in her eyes and in Elijah's as well while they both watched Damon take a few steps towards Rebekah who was exhausted from eight hours of labor and delivery.

Caroline, Klaus and Sarah all smiled up at him as the nurse slowly handed the small bundle of joy into his arms and Damon felt his eyes become glazed over with tears. "We're going to have to keep all the boys away from this one." He chuckled through his tears as he glanced down at her little nose and leaned his lips down towards her face to kiss her cheek. "Welcome to the world, my little Elizabeth Claire Salvatore." Damon choked out, getting emotional while rocking her small body back and forth in his arms and gazing up at everyone who was in the room with them.

"Promise me that you'll all be there for her when Rebekah and I might be too busy or if she says she hates us and needs advice from someone else. I mean, I don't want her getting all of her expensive taste from her auntie Caroline or her savvy smarts from her auntie Elena. But, I'd love if she had the fierce confidence that her aunt Katherine has and if she loved her uncles as much as I do. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want all of you to be a part of our daughter's life, no matter where you might be." Damon concluded, smiling down at baby Elizabeth who was drifting off to sleep in his arms.

"We promise." Katherine smiled, squeezing Elijah's hand as she looked up at Rebekah and Damon, clearing her throat. "Would it be okay if Rebekah, Caroline and I all had a moment alone?"

Caroline glanced over at Rebekah and then at Katherine, confusion appearing on her face. "Just a few minutes, that's all I ask."

Damon nodded, handing Elizabeth back to Rebekah and giving her a sweet smile as he leaned over and kissed her cheeks. "You did good tonight." He told her, brushing her damp hair away from her face and slowly retreating out of the room.

Once the door was closed, Katherine stood on the other side of Rebekah's beside and gently grabbed a hold of her hand. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry, for all the things that I put you through and that I'm hoping we can all move on from this. I know that we won't be like before. But, you and Caroline mean so much to me that I can't lose either of you again." Tears were welling up into her eyes as she sighed out a breath.

"So, where do we go from here?" Caroline asked, leaning back into her seat and watching the exchange of apologies that had been a long time coming between the three old best friends.

"We start over, together." Rebekah said in a sleepy voice, smiling as she squeezed Katherine's hand. "I want you both to be a part of my daughter's life, like I was when your children were born. I want them to grow up together and know each other. And, I don't want anything to ruin our friendship anymore because I value it." She stated, watching Caroline get up as she went around to the other side of Rebekah's hospital bed and glanced down at Elizabeth, smiling sweetly at the newborn baby girl. "She's beautiful, Rebekah and you're going to be an amazing mother."

Rebekah smiled, nodding before she yawned out a breath and looked them both over. "She's going to need some pointers from her aunts on how to not get her heart broken when she starts dating and I want to make sure that you'll both be there when I feel like I don't know what I'm doing." Caroline leaned across the bed, grabbing a hold of Katherine's hand and nodding through tears in her eyes as she vowed. "I promise we will. No matter where life takes us, I want you both to know that I love you and that our friendship is important to me."

"I love you too." Rebekah smiled, leaning her head back and closing her eyes softly. "No matter where we end up, I want you both to know that throughout everything that's happened. My love for the two of you has never changed. Thank you for allowing us to start over." She said, continuing to hold Elizabeth as she felt both Katherine and Caroline lean down towards her, kissing her cheeks while they whispered out into the quiet room. "We love you too and no matter what happens, we'll be there for you and for Elizabeth."

* * *

"This is ours? For seven days?" Elena asked him the next day after getting in late to their destination. She was glancing around the room as she felt awe struck by it, the lush blue water swept over the coral that was visible from their patio, the large resort room was on stilts and the water was rushing openly underneath it as Elena stood on the patio, watching the sun start to drift away and it began getting dark, quickly. The breeze blew in her face and continued to circulate warm air throughout their resort room. The windows all opened as the light tan colored drapes blew around the room behind her.

"It's ours." Stefan confirmed, coming up from behind her after he had spent a few hours unpacking their things. Elena could feel him wrap his arms around her and softly whisper sweet words of endearment against her ear. "I don't think we really had our first dance as a married couple, have we?" Stefan asked as he watched Elena's body shiver a bit. She was wearing a thin white and flowing dress as she turned around in his arms and looked up to notice the stars that were starting to show, a low melody coming from what sounded like Stefan's ipod. He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and one of his dark blue cotton t-shirts as he held out his hand to her, waiting for her to take it.

"Dance with me, Mrs. Salvatore." He stated with a sweet smile, feeling Elena's arms softly wrap around his neck as he swayed them back and forth, the warm breeze picking up around them while the daylight faded into the night.

"What song is this?" Elena asked curiously, smiling when she felt Stefan's hand resting gently upon the middle of her back while he intertwined their hands together, the glistening of Elena's wedding ring shining made her smile even wider as she heard the lyrics play out and he moved them to the melody.

"It's our wedding song." He replied with a prideful smile, twirling her around the open space as her dress swayed in the breeze and Stefan became memorized by how happy she was.

"I promise that I'm going to love you forever. Even when we're both old and gray." Stefan told her while pulling Elena back against his chest, feeling her rest her head upon his shoulder and her other arm loosely grip on to him. "And, I vow to do the same." She smiled, kissing him back while he kissed her lips softly. Elena leaned her head against Stefan's shoulder as she heard the music continue to play out loud, thinking about how content she felt in the moment and how she never wanted to be anywhere else, but beside him for the rest of their lives together and looking at Stefan in the way she was now, with the moonlight shining above them, Elena knew that he felt the same way as he held her close and he whispered into the night. "I vow to never give up and to never take you for granted. I love you now and always." He told her, swaying them to the music as they both heard the lyrics that seemed perfectly fit for them while they danced under the moonlight to their first song as a married couple, daydreaming about their future together...

" _And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70_  
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23  
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways  
Maybe just the touch of a hand  
Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day  
And I just wanna tell you I am..."

* * *

**A/N: I won't be writing a sequel for this story, if anyone is curious. and, I'm sorry if the song lyrics seemed a little cheesy at the end there. I've just been listening to Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud." on a loop and I felt like it kind of fit for the ending between Stefan and Elena. :)**

**Anyways, thoughts? Would you all like for me to write an epilogue or should I leave the story with this ending?**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**

 


	44. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

A/N: I know that I had promised this epilogue ages ago. Although, I just didn't have an idea for it until now. Hope you all like it. :)

Within Temptation: Epilogue

Five years later….

"Merry Christmas, darling." Klaus told her, wrapping his arms around Caroline as she stared out the window. They were all together tonight, in a cabin hours outside of the busy city streets of Chicago and it felt good. Better than good, it felt amazing.

"Merry Christmas." She replied softly, placing her hands on top of her husbands before she exhaled deeply and turned towards him. Five years had gone by since they had all changed their lives, mostly for the better. Caroline smiled as she watched Stefan and Elena playing with her and Klaus's newborn son, Tyler. Klaus frowned though when he saw Sarah glued to her cell phone, clearly oblivious to everything that was going on around her. "Will you excuse me? I need to go do some strict parenting." He commented, walking slowly over to his now 12 year old daughter as she tossed a pillow from the sofa behind her back and got a bit more comfortable with whoever it was that she was texting.

"Young lady. We're having a fun family gathering. Can't the texting of your little boyfriend Chad wait a few more hours?" He asked her, coming up behind Sarah and scaring her a little as she nearly jumped out of her skin and tossed her phone up into the air. Klaus caught it, reading the screen.

"Come over. I'm home alone." He couldn't help but laugh as he read the text. Shaking his head, Klaus watched Sarah freeze and gawk at him. "Dad, please don't. Please, daddy give me back my phone!" She begged. Klaus laughed, shaking his head.

"No, sweetheart. I think your uncles and I should text Chad back. You know, make sure that he knows you're only 12 years old!" He smirked, holding on to the cell phone tighter and slowly making his way towards Damon and Stefan who were now talking new business ideas and strategies with one another.

"No business talk, remember? We promised the ladies." Klaus commented, placing his daughter's cell phone into his front pocket.

"Why does your daughter look like she's pouting in a corner and about to go over to her mother, really pissed off?" Damon observed, trying his hardest not to laugh as he thought about what Elizabeth looked like when she didn't get the toys she wanted at the toy store.

"She's been texting a boy and I am teaching her a lesson." Klaus smiled widely, taking out Sarah's cell phone and texting the number on her screen back.

Hello Chad. This is Sarah's father. Klaus Mikaelson. I'm pretty sure you've heard about me, young man. Everyone in this town has. Anyways, I would like to politely decline your offer for a sleepover on my daughter's behalf and for the fact that you're 15 years old. So, thank you. But, no thank you.

P.S. Text my little girl again and I will find you.

Have a wonderful night! ;)

"Klaus, give our daughter back her phone!" Caroline demanded from across the room, giving him a stern look as he walked back towards his wife and Sarah who looked as if she was nearly in tears. He bent down, wiping away the tears that were cascading down her cheeks.

"Sweetheart, I just saved you a ton of heartache. Listen, Sarah. Chad sounds like bad news and you're too young for a boyfriend. So, when you see him around school. Don't talk to him and remember that I love you. There will be many more boys when you're 18 years old or by the time you're looking to be married."

Caroline opened her mouth, attempting to say something. But, Klaus quickly kissed her lips and silenced her before she could even begin to argue. He backed away smiling and saying softly. "I love you too. Don't be so jealous. Now," He paused, turning towards Elijah and Katherine who were the last two to arrive to the Christmas party that Rebekah had thrown.

"Let the festivities begin." He smiled widely, going over to welcome his brother and Katherine.

"You made it!" Elena smiled, getting up from her seat slowly as she placed her hand on to her growing stomach. She was six months pregnant and feeling overly exhausted. However, she had forced Stefan to go out with her because he knew how much she loved Christmas and how long it had been since she'd seen her sister or her friends. After moving in together and focusing on finally starting a family together. It had just been Stefan and Elena focusing on their marriage and their future for the last few years. It didn't make things easier that Elijah and Katherine were now living in Wyoming on a farm with Ethan and enjoying their lives outside of the large city they once called home.

"You are so pregnant!" Katherine laughed, embracing Elena tightly as she fell into her and they stood in front of each other for a while, looking one another over. Elena couldn't help but smile at how fair they'd come. It felt good, being surrounded by everyone she loved. Especially her twin sister, their mother and aunt Jenna.

"Do you want some wine or something?" Rebekah asked, coming up behind Katherine and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You look really beautiful tonight, by the way." She complimented, watching Katherine's brown eyes brighten as Elena noticed it too. "You're glowing...Almost like you're-." The look on her sister's face told her everything. There wasn't much else to say as Katherine's hand instantly flew to her stomach and she shushed the two right up. "I'm only two months pregnant. Elijah doesn't even know yet." She whispered in a soft tone, glancing back at her husband as he waved at her and she grinned back.

"No, really?" Caroline asked, coming up in between the small group of women that had now gathered as she cluelessly snuck up behind them. "It's Katherine Mikaelson. Looking hot, mama!" Caroline chimed in, slapping the brunette's butt playfully as Katherine laughed and turned around to hug her. "Hi darling!" Katherine said sweetly, leaning her head on to Caroline's shoulder while they stood together.

"Attention! Everyone, I'd like to make an announcement. If you all could join me in the living room." Stefan shouted out suddenly, lifting up his glass in the air as everyone gathered around and he called over Elena to stand by his side.

Elena gave him a perplexed look, tilting her head to the side and wondering about what if he was finally going to say what it was that he seemed so secretive about the whole way to the party on their long drive to the cabin. "First off, I wanted to thank my beautiful wife, Elena for convincing me to come be here with you all tonight. I'm thankful for all of you in this room. I am thankful and grateful for everything we've accomplished together. So," Stefan paused, pointing to Damon who came to stand near his brother. Elijah and Klaus looked on as so did everyone else in the room. Jeremy placed his hand around his wife and stood behind his sister and their mother as he exhaled deeply.

"I've been keeping this under wraps for a long time. However, I wanted to let you all know that today it's become official." Stefan licked his lips and glanced over to Damon who cleared his throat to speak. "As all of you know. Our company Dasells had been merged with Jenna's boutique a few years ago. The profits have been great for everyone and we've all been very pleased with the changes. However, things are changing even more now and it will be fully ran by Elijah, Klaus and Jenna starting next November. Stefan and I will be stepping down as the CEOs and Elijah will be taking over, helping guide Jenna to success."

There were a few gasps in the room as Elena turned towards Stefan confusingly asking him. "What does that even mean?"

Stefan smiled, leaning in to kiss her lips softly as he said in a soft tone while placing his hand onto her stomach. "It means that our baby won't know a waking moment without me in his or her life. It means that we have enough money to not have to work for a very long time if we don't want to. It means that we'll be stress free." He told her, pulling her closely as she wrapped her arms around him and contently smiled. The thought of Stefan being a stay at home father made her smile, the thought of them both being hands on with their future daughter or son made things even better.

"So, my big badass husband is going to be doing what now? Washing the dishes every night?" Rebekah joked, taking a seat in Damon's lap as he smiled at her and pulled her close to him.

He inhaled sharply, laughing a little. "Oh," He paused, kissing her cheek and tugging down on her earlobe with his teeth as he whispered a bit seductively in her ear. "I could help you make another baby if you want. You know, Elizabeth's already five. I'm starting to think she needs a playmate." Winking at her, Damon looked past Rebekah and towards their daughter who was sitting in Elijah's lap as he bounced her up and down, laughing just as much as she was at him.

"Don't you miss the days when Elizabeth was just a baby and we would wrap her up in that blanket your mom made for her, sitting on the porch together until she fell asleep." He reminisced as Rebekah ran her fingers through his hair and smiled at the memory before she commented softly. "Or the nights when you'd drive her around town with Damien Rice music playing on the stereo in your Porsche because she wouldn't stop crying. Yeah, baby. Those were the days." Rebekah mused, kissing him on the cheek and getting up before he could say anything else. Rebekah extended out her hands to him and smiled as she said. "Come dance with me, babe."

Damon watched her for a while, lovingly smiling at her and thinking about how they'd gotten to where they were now. He looked around the room at everyone who had gathered around to celebrate Christmas with them and then he smiled even wider as he said. "I'm one hell of a lucky man to have you in my life. And, I promise that every single day, I'll show you how lucky you are to be with me." He told her, pulling her closer as Rebekah giggled into his ear and whispered softly. "I already know how lucky I am. Every single day when I wake up to your smiling face."

A/N: And, that's it readers! The epilogue for "Within Temptation"

Please let me know if you have any ideas for bonus chapters/ one shots I can write based off of this story because I'll just add them on here.

As always, leave me a review and thank you so much for reading!


	45. Missing Scene: "Baby Salvatore"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Human. A/U. In the windy city of Chicago. Struggling, Elena Gilbert gets mistakenly identified as missing wealthy socialite, Katherine Salvatore. What happens when she enters into the world of the prestigious Salvatore family and their friends? A world filled with secrets, deceit & steamy affairs. Everyone has secrets. Will theirs be exposed? (Stelena,Klaroline,Debekah,Kalijah)

A/N: As requested by a few readers. Here is the first one-shot for "Within Temptation" This takes place the night that Elena and Stefan have their first baby.

Enjoy!

Within Temptation: "Baby Salvatore"

She was screaming her head off as they wheeled her into the emergency room the morning of her due date. Her water had broken earlier than excepted and Elena was nothing but anxious as she clutched on to Stefan's hand; threatening him a bit.

"The next time you touch me, I swear to god that it will be when we're old and fat!" Elena screamed at him, tightening her grasp around the collar of his shirt as he felt her release it and he could breathe again.

"Now, now. Don't be like that." Katherine encouraged on the other side of her, tightening the grip of Elena's other hand around her own because she was afraid that Elena would go into a fit of rage and go after Stefan.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Elena shot back, screaming in agony as the contractions came closer and closer together and Stefan told her to breathe. Damon and Rebekah watched as they wheeled her down towards the delivery rooms.

"How much you want to bet that it's going to be a girl?" She asked her husband as he laughed and handed her $20 dollars.

"How much you want to bet that it's going to be a boy?" He asked her with a smile on his face as she laughed and crumpled up the money into her hands as she took a seat in the waiting room. "A hell of a lot more than this." She stated with a bright smile. "You owe me a new pair of shoe's if it's a girl." She commented with a smirk, adding in for good measure. "A $2,000 dollar pair of shoes."

Hours had gone by as the doctors worked on Elena and Stefan paced the floor outside of the waiting room. Damon came to stand by his side. "Why aren't you in there?" He asked his younger brother who looked almost as if he was going to lose most of his lunch. His stomach had been in knots since around 3:30 in the morning when Elena had woken him up and told him that it was time to take her to the hospital. Stefan drove to the hospital in his pajama pants and a thin white t-shirt. He had apparently even forgotten to set the alarm on the house because Elijah had to stop by and check up on things; notifying him of his forgetfulness.

"I'm a fucking mess." He commented, leaning his back against the wall as Damon stood beside him, placing his hand onto his shoulder carefully.

"You're going to be a first time dad. That's normal." Damon smiled, remembering the first time he held Elizabeth in his arms when the doctors handed his daughter to him. "When Lizzy was born. I was so afraid to hold her, thought I'd drop her on the damn floor from how shaky my arms were." He added on, hearing a little laugh escape out of his brother's mouth. Stefan felt a little better, knowing that he wasn't going to be all alone in being a first time dad. He was surrounded by experts, or at least men that thought they were pretty good at being dad's.

"Besides, Elijah and Klaus had no fucking idea what they were doing either. No one does, Stefan." Damon chimed in with a grin, glancing down the hallway to make sure that neither of them were in ear shot. "I bet you money that Elijah's worried that when Katherine has that baby of theirs that he's going to be taking a shit load of his suits to the dry cleaners." Damon joked, stepping back away from the wall as they both heard footsteps and then saw one of the doctors leave the delivery room.

"Mr. Salvatore!" He called out, turning around to the brother's as he took his blue mask off and gloves, extending out his hand.

"It's Stefan." He replied, shaking the doctor's hand as they all smiled and he announced with a gleeful glance. "Congratulations, son. Your wife and baby girl are doing amazingly well. Everything went great."

"Baby girl?" Stefan asked with wide eyes and tears in his eyes as the doctor nodded and Stefan turned around to embrace his brother. "When can I see my wife?" He asked eagerly, watching Damon slide down against the wall, looking visibly upset.

"What's wrong, Damon? I thought you'd be elated to be an uncle." Stefan asked, tilting his head to the side in total confusion as he heard his brother groan out in agony.

"I am little brother. I totally am. It's just. I just lost a bet with my wife on the gender of your baby and now I owe her more than 20 dollars. She wants $2000 dollars for a pair of new shoes!" Damon exclaimed, hearing the doctor and Stefan laugh out loud before they disappeared into the recovery room to go see Elena and the newest baby Salvatore.

"Hi baby girl." Stefan softly whispered as Elena closed her eyes and the nurses handed his daughter to him. Stefan slowly walked around Elena's room, rocking his daughter with shaking arms and praying that he wouldn't wake Elena up. She looked so peaceful and content.

"Meet your daughter, Mr. Salvatore." The nurse mused, fixing the blanket around the little newborn's body and making sure that Stefan was holding her correctly. "I got her." Stefan said, walking over to take a seat in the nursery looking chair in the room.

"I'll be back to check up on you three later." The nurse smiled, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Stefan heard the clicking noise of the door closing as Elena as she slowly began to open her eyes and sleepily greeted Stefan with a smile.

"Hi baby." She said, reaching out her hand towards Stefan as he slowly readjusted his arm and held out his hands towards her. "Did you name her while I was sleeping?" Elena joked as Stefan shook his head, clearing his throat. "No. I just came in a while ago. Been waiting for you while her and I have been getting acquainted." He smiled cheerfully as Elena dropped her hand from his and inhaled sharply from the pain she was feeling.

"What are we going to name her?" Elena asked as Stefan glanced down at his newborn daughter who's eyes were closing slowly due to the fact that was safe and warm in her father's arms.

"I think we should name her Emma Marie Salvatore." He suggested as Elena nodded in between yawning out a breath.

"Emma it is." She agreed, repeating her daughter's name as she glanced over as Stefan and replied in a tone above a whisper. "Welcome to the world little Emma Marie. You're going to be one lucky little girl." She stated, curling up underneath the three blankets that the nurses had given her as Stefan leaned back into the chair he was sitting in and leaned down to kiss his daughter's rosy cheeks. "Welcome to the world, Miss Emma Salvatore." He proudly said, closing his eyes and allowing for sleep to overtake them both as he thought about how much their lives were about to change.

A/N: Have a request for a one shot based off of "Within Temptation"? Please leave me a comment and let me know. :)


	46. Becoming Mrs. Katherine Salvatore

A/N: Hey all. This is a little M rated one-shot. It's based a few weeks after Elena has come into Stefan's life, still pretending to be Katherine.

Hope you all enjoy it!

"Being "Mrs. Katherine Salvatore"

He takes her to the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago, a few weeks after she's gotten home from the shelter. Because it's one of her favorite places to be in the city and he can't seem to figure out why she requested to be here tonight anyways, then he remembers. It's a comfort. It's a place where she had always felt safe. He watches her, her hands pressed against the glass as she looks down at the view, everything around her is small and out of focus. She's drank some prescription pills to calm her nerves- maybe that's kicked in now. Although, he's not quite sure because he hasn't touched her since she came home from the shelter- anymore intimately than just a hug.

"It's so beautiful." She remarks, something about it gives her goosebumps as she inhales deeply, the smell of stale air and plastic swirl around her, making her a bit nauseous. She wonder's when he'll begin to notice- the differences- the deceit that she's pulling over his already clouded eyes. She's mentally counting down the hours until he tells her to go to hell, calls her a liar or something even worse. Maybe tells her to go find the real person that she's impersonating- his long lost wife, Katherine Salvatore.

She stands there, not saying a word as she feels him come up behind her, his arms pulling her away from the observatory platform and towards his chest. He kisses the back of her neck and she promises herself that she's not going to cringe like she did the moment their skin came into contact at the shelter. Standing there in his arms, pressed against his chest. She wonders about his wife, what possessed her to leave him? She wonders if it's true- is he really the monster that she had claimed he was or was that just the media's way of twisting their lives into something it wasn't?

He inhales her scent, wondering why she doesn't smell like cigarettes and a very overly priced perfume from one of those ridiculously expensive boutiques. He wonders why the hell she hasn't said anything about the other night- the night he came into the shower and nearly made love to her. He watches her turn, giving him a shy smile as he leans in, kissing her neck. " It's getting late, we should go." He tells her, the feeling of her being relaxed in his arms fades away as he locks his green gaze upon her tormented brown orbs. She's been through hell and back, he knows this as he watches her push away from him. But, he's at loss for what to do. She gently grabs his hand, guiding him back to the elevator as she nods in agreement. The sun had gone down hours ago and he's not even sure how long they've been there for- certainly near closing time- since they're the last ones to leave.

The elevator ride down is quiet as she stays closer to the doors and he stays near the back, watching her fidgeting under his gaze. God, he's missed her. His wife- his beautiful angel. She turns to him once the doors open and she grabs a hold of his hand again. He wants to ask her so many questions. Like, why she left him? But, instead, he decides to hold off until they're in the car. He says nothing much to the driver except for that she isn't feeling well and to roll up the privacy screen while he takes them back to his house- their house.

"Thank you" She mutters out softly, yawning while leaning her head against his shoulder. He grabs a hold of her hand, bringing it close to his mouth as his warm lips kiss her knuckles and he runs them over her wedding ring. "I've missed you" He says, meaning every last word of it as she reminds herself of who she's supposed to be. She wants to say it; she wants to act natural because the last thing she needs is to be caught before it even begins. However, it's stuck in her throat. So, she takes another route, she pushes herself off of his shoulder and backs away for a split second, taking her cold feeling hand and pressing it against his stubble covered cheek. Seeing the longing and lusting after her in his eyes makes her heart want to explode. She keeps herself on track as she tries not to whisper it…I'm not her…I am not yours.

Shaking it off quickly, she leans in towards him, her lips quivering as she thinks about the other night; his hands still imprinted on her skin, the feeling of his lips making her want to disappear into an oblivion. Inhaling sharply, she gets closer to him as his eyes close and then she whispers ever so softly "How much do you love me?" She's wanting to test it. His loyalty, his affections and his weaknesses. She wants to explore every side of him.

She feels her hand on his thigh slip off as he grabs a hold of it again, keeping it firmly pressed up against his knee. He loves her way more than anything or anyone else in the world- that, he's sure of. If he could have the chance to run away from it all, with her. He'd do it in a heartbeat. His throat tightens as she runs her hand up and down his thigh, her mind racing with every single sexual thought that she's ever had. Indulge yourself… Her mind urges on, pushing her to go a little further. She can see it in his eyes, the lust, the fiery passion burning within him- he wants to indulge himself too.

"A lot" He swallows, trying to remember the other words that he wanted to say, yet, he can't because her hand is inching up to his belt buckle on his dark gray dress pants. She smirks to herself, running her hand over his tense leg muscles, his erection growing as her hand moves slowly while she decides to have a little fun of her own- all the while- praying that he doesn't catch on to her games.

"Good" She whispers into his ear, scraping her teeth over his earlobe, sucking on it for good measure as he groans from the feeling of her hand that keeps inching underneath his white dress shirt. "How long do you think it'd take us to do some damage in here?" She asks him with a bold seductive tone, watching him turn his face to her, their lips just inches apart as he speaks, his breath smelling like a minty mouthwash that washes over her face. "Not too long." He says to her, leaning in and kissing her deeply. She can feel the pressure of his hands gripping her hips as she moves over to him, straddling his lap. His breath smells like booze, his hands shaky as he slowly unzips her bright red dress that he's been silently fantasizing about ripping off of her over the course of a few hours. The cool sudden touch of his hands cause goosebumps to form upon her heated skin.

"We're not going to have enough time." She states, inhaling deeply in uneven breathes as she speaks to him, placing her lips against his neck, nipping at his skin.

He can feel his body tightening, his erection becomes harder and she can feel his penis stiffen underneath his clothing as she rolls her hips forward, listening to him whimpering out her name. "Katherine, we can't do this here." His tone is more of warning that she ignores as she continues her assault of kisses. She needs to prove to him and to herself that she can fill his wife's shoes because she needs answers, she needs to find out the truth about Katherine; her twin sister.

"Of course we can, watch me…" Her voice trails off as she giggles into his ear, unzipping his pants and freeing him from them. She licks her lips, wetting her mouth as she locks her eyes on to him. He can see them glistening as she pressing her lips against his own. He opens his mouth a little more, allowing her to taste him, explore him with her own tongue. She feels him take her hand, touching him between his legs as he groans and then breaks away for a moment. They're both breathing heavily as he watches her, lowering herself between his legs. Her back uncomfortably pressing flatly against the other seat behind her. He pushes her hair back with his hand as she inhales deeply, licking her lips. She watches his eyes closes, his head lean back as her reddened lips sweep over his penis and he breathes heavily, biting his lip frantically just as she swirls her tongue around his engorged member and slowly begins sucking and teasing him. A few seconds seem to turn into minutes as she teases him with her mouth, finally coming up for air and kissing him again just as the car comes to a full stop and she leans back into the seat across from him, wiping away her now smeared red lipstick.

"Ka-." He begins to say as she shakes her head, still not believing what she's just done. However, the look in his eyes makes her know that she's made a mark and it's obvious the minute she opens the car door, attempting to leave- he wants her more than ever now. He grabs her wrist, slamming the door and pulling her back into his lap. "You don't need to say anything, Stefan." She tells him, her heart pounding uncontrollably as he smiles at her, leaving a quick kiss upon her cheek just as he shakes his head and places his finger upon her lips. " I didn't want you to stop. But, I do need to say something…"

He watches her tilt her head to the side. Shit…He's probably going to tell her that something's off about her tonight.. She thinks to herself. She feels him readjusting himself as he places his hand onto her thigh, rubbing her skin with his fingers when he says. "I've missed you, Katherine. I really have." Letting her go, he opens the car door and exits out the other way. Elena leans her head back, her breathing is heavy as she closes her eyes and promises herself one thing, that whatever she does. She can't afford it- to fall in love with him. She promises herself that night, in the limousine, sitting alone after she watches him standing outside waiting for her- Katherine- his wife…No matter what happens, she can't allow pretending to be Katherine to get to her head. Because loving someone she couldn't have would destroy her. Loving Stefan Salvatore while being someone she's not- would kill her.

A/N: Should I write more of these? Does anyone have a request?


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